Broken Wings - Revised
by Flutist Girl
Summary: In many ways, it was a grave, though no body was buried beneath. It symbolized the same thing. There, under the shelter of that tree, he had died. This was the anniversary. This was the only time she allowed herself to think of him. SephirothOC. A revision of a story originally posted 6 years ago.
1. The Memorial

Broken Wings - Version 4.0

Cover art by linnyxito on DeviantArt

* * *

_This is a remake of a story that I first posted almost 6 years ago. Since its completion, I have been writing and rewriting. To date, it has undergone 3 full-scale revisions (hence the 4.0), with a lot of nit-picking on the side. It is still by no means perfect. It may never be. As always, constructive criticism is very much appreciated. It is very possible that it will undergo another revision soon._

_When I began this project I was a sophomore in high school, with a mind full of dreams, but little knowledge of the FFVII universe. I had been introduced to the franchise a few months before, by a friend who only knew of it in connection to Kingdom Hearts. So, needless to say, my fact-base was lacking. I have since played not only the original FFVII, but several other games in the compilation. With this, it is my hope that the story has become at least closer to the canonical world. In addition, my writing voice has changed over the years. You can even see it if you compare my original post of Broken Wings with its sequel, Everglow. My purpose was to refine what I had written with my newer style, but leave enough of the voice of my younger self to be true to its original form._

_Chronologically, this story takes place after Advent Children, and disregards the events of Dirge of Cerberus._

_Whether you're an old reader of mine, or new to the story, welcome and enjoy!_

_- Flutist Girl_

* * *

Chapter One: The Memorial

The night was cold, the moon was full, and the freshly fallen snow glittered like powdered diamonds. A lone pair of footprints wound its way through the skeletal trees, stopping where a young woman stood. She was in an elaborate white gown with a bodice embroidered with pearls, a flowing satin skirt, and a long veil of lace trailing behind her. Her skin was nearly as pale as the snow itself, and was marked with bruises and half-healed wounds, the more serious ones bound with strips of cloth.

She knelt down at the base of a white weeping willow, ignoring the bite of the cold, and bowed her head over her folded hands. Her hair spilled over her shoulders, made pale gold in the moonlight, veiling her face and sapphire eyes. After a hushed prayer, her fingertips reached out to stroke the monument before her. In many ways, it was a grave, though no body was buried beneath. It symbolized the same thing. There, under the shelter of that tree, he had died.

Just as she did every year, she began to timidly sing a requiem in a voice that trembled with emotion. She briefly wondered if he could hear her, or if he did, if he even cared.

She turned her gaze skyward when a lone black feather fell, brushing against her cheek before falling to the ground. "No," she whispered. "You're dead. Leave me."

He didn't respond, but she knew he was there. She could feel his eyes burning into her. Maybe his sword was drawn; perhaps he was now ready to end her life at last. "Just go," she pleaded, turning her eyes back to the frozen earth.

After an eternity's hesitation, she heard the flapping of a solitary wing, a sound that gradually faded over an insurmountable distance. She sighed heavily as he left her in her solitude, beginning to rock back and forth as she resumed her song with renewed reverence.

This was the anniversary. This was the only time she allowed herself to think of him.

She had long since stopped shivering, and she knew she should leave lest she be taken by the cold, but she found that she couldn't move. There was no pain; even the numbing cold had lost its sting. She could not feel the once cold trail of her half-frozen tears on her cheeks. The cold took not only her physical sensation, but a great deal of her consciousness. She felt as if in a dream, drifting, aimless.

She heard the clashing of swords in the distance, creating a rhythm that only the warriors could follow. Voices flew on the wind to where she sat, increasing in volume and intensity with the heightening tempo of the battle and the decreasing distance.

Soon they were close enough for her to see their silhouettes. She saw swords spark as they danced, quick as lightning, in the moonlight. She watched the men with all her energy. Her heart was in her throat; she could hear its roar in her ears.

For a moment, as if he had felt her gaze, the taller combatant paused, and glanced her way.

"Stop," she whispered. "Please….no more…."

The taller man's opponent noticed the lapse in his enemy's attention, and tried to take advantage of it. It did not matter; the assault was blocked effortlessly. No matter what he tried, the smaller man could not gain a hand over the first.

She belatedly realized that the tides were turning, whether because she was too tired to see it immediately or because the shift in tactics had been that subtle and seamless, she could not tell. Either way, the taller man was undeniably pushing the other back. The second did not seem to realize that he was losing ground and being intentionally pushed in a very specific direction: towards _her_.

When the two men were at the fringe of the clearing where she rested, the taller man hit his opponent squarely in the chest, sending him flying. The smaller man landed just short of the willow tree where she rested, but quickly recovered, and made as if to charge again. In the shadows, however, the shorter man's foe spread a single wing to its full length, and then was gone.

After his concentration had been removed from the skirmish, the smaller man turned to her, somewhat startled by her presence. He had spiked blonde hair, his eyes were an icy blue, and he was dressed in black with a massive sword still grasped in his hand. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

She simply gazed at the place where the winged man had disappeared with blank, emotionless eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked again.

"No," she breathed, her voice weak airy. "No, I don't think I am."

The man recoiled as he spotted the wounds on her arms, "Did Sephiroth do this to you?"

She could give no answer but a shudder.

"Can you stand?" he asked, extending his hands down to her in an offer of support.

Only then did she turn to look at him. She held his forearms tentatively and began to stand, but found that she could not. He helped ease her back to the ground before she could fall.

"Let me carry you, then. I'll get you somewhere safe."

The woman hesitated, but nodded her head once in consent. He picked her up, and winced as he felt how cold she was. He looked around for something to wrap her in, but found nothing. He gripped her frozen fingers, warming them in his hands as he ran.

"I'm Cloud," he said.

"I know," she whispered. "He told me about you."

Cloud decided not to ask who "he" was. "What's your name?"

She hesitated, and for a while he thought that she had fallen unconscious.

"He called me Aralyn," she said softly.

She soon slipped into sleep, and Cloud picked up his pace, afraid that she would fall prey to the winter's cold. Her breathing was halting and shallow, and her lips were touched with blue. As her hand went limp, a single black feather slipped from her grip, and Cloud scowled, thinking only for a moment that, perhaps, he knew just who "he" was.

He brushed the thought aside.

It simply was not possible.


	2. Little Stranger

***Chapters all in italics are flashbacks.

* * *

Chapter Two: Little Stranger

_A young boy sat at the foot of the hospital bed, legs crossed, as he watched the bed's sleeping occupant. He blinked once, twice, then three times, but nothing changed. She did not even stir. He frowned in impatience as he blew his long bangs out of his face._

_ He only half heard the door open and the professor enter. The older man laughed kindly. "Thought I might find you here, Sephiroth. How long have you been here? Hojo's been looking all over for you." When the boy didn't answer, the professor shook his head. "Have you been enjoying yourself?_

_ Sephiroth frowned, but tilted his head in curiosity, not taking his inquisitive gaze off the bed's occupant. "Who is she, Gast?" he asked simply._

_ "Are you interested?"_

_ "No," he insisted. "I don't care. I'm just…wondering. That's all."_

_ "I see." _

_ Sephiroth huffed softly. Gast often played these types of games with him. _

_ "What's her name?" Sephiroth asked after a long silence._

_ "We don't know. She's not in the records," was the curt, but not unkind, reply. "Maybe she'll tell us when she wakes up."_

_ "How'd she get here?"_

_ "Unfortunately, Professor Hojo found her."_

_ The boy fell silent, and the aura around him grew tense with dislike. "So Hojo's going to…"_

_ "Don't worry about her," Gast said it calmly, but with an air of disapproval. He put a hand on the Sephiroth's shoulder. "Nothing has happened yet." _

_ Sephiroth pushed the hand from his shoulder. "I know that."_

_ "All right. Just in case you were worrying."_

_ "I wasn't."_

_ "Good, I'm glad." Gast went elsewhere in the room and began to record something on a chart. As hesitant as Sephiroth was to approach the sleeping girl, curiosity got the better of him, and Gast's unsatisfactory answers propelled him onward. He scooted up so he sat at her side, dangling his legs off the side of the bed._

_ As far as Sephiroth was concerned, he was the only one his size in all of Shinra – it was eerie to see someone who he could at least meet eyes with, if he wasn't taller than her. He squinted his eyes in concentration. She was blonde, and about his size. That was all he knew about her, and it bothered him._

_ "What are those red spots on her face?" Sephiroth asked, pointing to the band of dots under her eyes._

_ "Freckles, Sephiroth."_

_ "I've never seen them before."_

_ "They're quite common."_

_ "Then why haven't I seen them?"_

_ "You haven't been outside Shinra…yet."_

_ Sephiroth disregarded the comment. Gast had been promising he could see the outside world for as long as he could remember. It hadn't happened yet._

_ Distractedly, he began to play with the wires that ran into the girl's wrist and hand. When he tired of this, he picked up her hand and thoroughly examined both sides of it._

_ "Let her rest, Sephiroth," Gast admonished._

_ Sephiroth pouted, but put her hand down as Gast had instructed. _

_ "Do you want to help me take her vitals? It would be good practice for you."_

_ "No," he said._

_ "Then could you move over so I can get to her?"_

_ Sephiroth silently complied, returning to the foot of the bed._

_ The boy watched intently as Gast took her temperature and blood pressure, and then gently turned her on her side to press the stethoscope to her back. _

_ "I'm glad that you have someone here that's your own age now," Gast said. "It's not good for you to be so alone."_

_ The boy glared, his pride wounded. "I don't need anyone."_

_ Gast laughed in a soft, melancholy way. "If you say so, Sephiroth." He draped the stethoscope around his neck and hung the other equipment on the wall. "She's doing just fine," he said, adjusting her hospital gown to expose a part of her shoulder. He swiftly administered an injection – the girl hardly winced – and then laid her on her back and adjusted the sheets around her. "We probably ought to let her rest now."_

_ "Can I stay here?" Sephiroth asked eagerly. "I promise I'll be good!"_

_ "She won't wake for hours at the earliest," was Gast's firm reply. "And you have somewhere to be."_

_ "Oh." The word was quiet. The excitement that was previously in his voice was gone. The weight on her mattress shifted as he slowly but obediently left her side._

_ "If it will make you feel better," Gast added, "I'll bring you here after your treatment."_

_ "Hojo won't let me," the boy stated simply, the resentful note still in his voice._

_ Gast was undeterred. "Let me deal with him. You'll see her later, I promise. Say goodbye, now."_

_ Sephiroth's tone was confused. "She's asleep, she can't hear me."_

_ "You'd be surprised. She's been fidgeting; perhaps her senses are already intact."_

_ Sephiroth leapt back onto the bed beside the girl, compressing an area in the mattress near her hip. "Bye," Sephiroth said, and then added in a whisper, "wake up soon!" He tentatively touched her hand once more._

_ Gast lifted him from her side. "Come on. You'll see her later today."_

_ Sephiroth couldn't help but notice how Gast bolted the door behind them as they exited. _


	3. Secrets and Inquiries

Chapter Three: Secrets and Inquiries

Aralyn awoke in an unfamiliar room. The plain but comfortable bed she was on had a thick, cotton quilt, which was matted around her from her unconscious tossing and turning. The curtains had been drawn closed, but some light spilled in where the two fabrics did not fully meet. A small lamp was on a table by her head with a few other trinkets: a chocobo figurine, some stray books, and a phone. Photographs, decorative paintings, and children's sketches were tacked to the walls in no particular order, adding a homey feel to the otherwise bland room.

She slowly uncurled herself, feeling her stiff muscles stretch. Her arms unwound the blankets from her body and for a moment she sat up, dangling her feet off the side of the bed. Her head swam, and she quickly laid back down to stop the room's spinning.

Tiny, rapid footsteps sounded from just outside her door. A small head peeked in the room and wide, dark eyes examined her. "Oh, you're awake!" A little girl skipped into the room with a small stuffed moogle in tow. She reached up and wriggled her way onto the bed beside Aralyn, sitting cross-legged and smiling.

"Hi!" she chirped.

"Hello," Aralyn replied, managing a smile though she lacked the enthusiasm and energy that the girl had. "What's your name?"

"I'm Marlene," she said. "And you're Aralyn?"

Aralyn nodded her head, and that was all the confirmation the little girl needed. "Cloud and Tifa talk about you a lot." She continued. "You and Sephiroth."

The comment was made idly, but it hit Aralyn hard. She hoped the shock didn't show on her face. "What are they saying…about us?"

"They're just wondering why he attacked you. I mean, _I'm_ not surprised. This is Sephiroth we're talking about. He wants to make _everybody_ go away."

Aralyn quietly hummed an affirmative, sitting up in the bed again.

"Do you know him?" Marlene asked, her voice inquisitive and slightly accusing.

Aralyn laughed bitterly. She wished Marlene had asked her a simpler question. Sighing, she simplified the answer into one that the young girl would understand. "No, Marlene," she said. "But I know _of_ him. Tell me, what's he like?"

"Bad," Marlene said. "Very bad. He's so angry at the planet that he wants everyone to die. He killed a lot of my friends. He tried to kill _everyone_. But Cloud stopped him twice, so it's okay now. Cloud won't let him hurt you anymore. He'll stop him as many times as it takes for Sephiroth to _really_ die." She fiddled with her moogle's pompom, adjusting it so it fell over the forehead. She didn't notice how Aralyn had gone stark white in response to the last thing she had said.

When her friend was properly groomed, Marlene turned back to Aralyn. "What's that around your neck?"

Instinctively, Aralyn's hand flew to the chain, hiding it in a tightly clenched hand. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Marlene frowned, then shrugged. "Okay." Downstairs, a small bell rang, and the girl jumped to the floor. "Cloud's back! Come and see!"

Aralyn did not follow. She sat and listened to Marlene and the others cheerfully greet Cloud. They sounded happy – like a family – and it created a great ache in her chest.

She sat for a long time, listening, listing to herself all the reasons why she shouldn't go down. She didn't want to interrupt, and she obviously wasn't a part of the family.

And what would they say when they saw that the wounds on her arms and face had already healed? There weren't even scars – there was no sign at all that she had even been injured. They had disappeared overnight.

Just as they did every year.

She knew she couldn't hide – not for long – but she stayed where she was to enjoy a few more moments of peace before the inevitable interrogations began.

She stroked her hand, where last night a long gash had split her palm. She knew that she had been blessed to heal so quickly, but listening to the family downstairs, she was reminded that in a lot of ways, many wounds still remained.

* * *

Two silver-haired brothers sat deftly on the windowsill of the second-floor window, the shorter of the two eagerly looking in.

Kadaj, the younger brother, laughed. "That's _it_? Given the circumstances I had expected someone more…well, _worthwhile_."

"I don't pretend to understand it either."

Kadaj tilted his head to the side, pressing his face closer to the glass. "What do you think of her, Yazoo?"

The elder brother shook his head, distractedly fingering his gun-blade. "We shouldn't be here."

Kadaj shot his brother a look of irritation. "Oh come on, you wanted to see as badly as I did." He returned his gaze to the window.

"If Sephiroth finds out you were here—"

"He won't! Stop being a spoil sport. Come on! Take a peek." Kadaj moved over a few feet, making room for his brother on the sill. When he did not come, Kadaj returned to his original place, staring in childlike fascination for a long time. "Such a plain, ordinary creature." His face furrowed, his catlike eyes flashing venom green in a burst of fury. "_Disgusting_," he seethed.

Yazoo leapt from the sill, landing on his feet without as much as a whisper of sound. "We have to get back." He did not wait for his younger brother to follow, and began to start up his motorbike.

The sound startled the girl in the window, and she looked around in fright. Kadaj did not try to conceal himself, only grinned widely, hoping she could see his eyes, his hair. Judging by the look of horror in her eyes, she did.

Pleased with his work, he followed his brother, getting on his own motorcycle and preparing to ride.

"She saw you, didn't she?" Yazoo asked accusingly.

"Let her think about _that_ for a while," Kadaj laughed. "It's not like she won't be seeing us soon, anyway."

Yazoo frowned. "You speak treason," he said before he sped off into the city's alleys.

"No, brother," Kadaj purred with a smile as he watched his brother disappear. "It's you that's the traitor."


	4. Silver Angel

Chapter Four: Silver Angel

_When she awakened, he was standing at her bedside, peering at her through the steel rails on the side of her bed._

_ She was startled to find a child who was very markedly different from herself. Long, silver hair fell to his waist, his bangs shorter, framing a pale face. He was wearing only a plain, white hospital gown that hung on slender shoulders, and thin slippers between his feet and the cold tile. Bright, emerald green eyes peered at her, glowing with an unnatural light of their own, masking the flicker of his carefully guarded emotions. "Hello." Despite looking so different, he sounded like she felt – timid, a little nervous. _

_ "Hi," she said back. "Are you Sephiroth?"_

_ The boy only blinked and didn't come any closer. One of the rails was still partially obstructing her view of him. "Gast said you were probably listening. I'm…" he awkwardly searched for the appropriate words to say, "…glad…you're up."_

_ There were several beats of dead silence. _

_ "What's your name?"_

_ She opened her mouth to tell him, but hesitated. "I…don't think I should tell you." she admitted, abashed._

_ Sephiroth tilted his head, obviously thinking this was curious. "Why not?"_

_ "Um, because."_

_ "What am I supposed to call you, then?"_

_ "I don't know. Whatever you'd like, I suppose."_

_ "Hm," he hummed, frowning slightly. "I guess I'll think of something." _

_ As he grew bolder, Sephiroth finally pulled himself up to sit beside her on the bed. The jumping motion bounced the two up and down and she giggled as her body rocked. _

_ Without the bars hiding him from her sight, the girl made another startling discovery. She stopped laughing and gasped, eyes wide with this new revelation._

_ From Sephiroth's back sprouted a single, ebony wing. The span was easily longer than his outstretched arm; she didn't see how she could have missed it before._

_ Sephiroth followed her gaze. "Oh," he said, his head lowering and his eyes dimming. "You weren't expecting that, were you?"_

_ The girl couldn't speak, couldn't hardly breathe. _

_ Sephiroth started to slide down her bed when she regained her composure. She seized his hand, surprised at how cold it was. "No!" she cried. "It's beautiful!"_

_ Sephiroth turned to her, surprised. "Beautiful?" He spoke the word disbelievingly, as if thinking that he hadn't heard her right. "No one's ever called it that before…" He sidled back to her side, moving closer than he had been previously. _

_ "Can I…?" She extended her fingers, her eyes simultaneously shining with wonder and pleading for permission. _

_ Sephiroth unfurled his wing as far as he could, sweeping air across her. A feather fell, brushing her face and falling in her lap. Her mouth fell slightly open; it was more majestic than she ever could have imagined. "Go ahead," he said with a small smile. "It's not like it will hurt me."_

_ She reached out and skimmed her fingers across his wing, timidly at first, but soon stroking it longingly. "Can you…fly?"_

_ "Hojo says I might, one day. He would like that. It's why he gave it to me in the first place."_

_ She stopped abruptly, alarmed. "You weren't born with this?"_

_ "No," Sephiroth shrugged. "Just another experiment."_

_ She raised her head to look at him, horrified. "Experiment? Is this okay with you?"_

_ Sephiroth looked at her, confused. She could tell the answer, though he never specified it. "That's the way it's always been." _

_ She looked at him in shock. "This isn't the only thing he's done to you, is it?" Something in his eyes made her afraid to ask for specifics._

_ Sephiroth shook his head. "It's nothing." Despite his cool demeanor, he didn't manage to convince her that he didn't care about what was being done to him. _

_ "Hojo says the experiments will make me strong, that I'll be a great hero someday," he offered. _

_ "But it's not right-!"_

_ She didn't get a chance to finish, because the pair was interrupted by a visitor. _


	5. An Odd Visitor

Chapter Five: An Odd Visitor

The figure at the window was what scared Aralyn out of her bed. While she didn't yet know if the people downstairs were friend or foe, she could certainly tell that the man in the window was malicious, if not hostile. She decided to take her chances with the former group.

The lower floor was plain, but had been arranged to comfortably accommodate many people. Behind the counter, a young woman with straight black hair wiped down plates and arranged them neatly in a nearby cabinet, occasionally adding a comment to the ongoing conversation between the people behind her. Seated at one of the tables was Cloud, her rescuer from the ruins, with Marlene on his lap and an auburn haired boy next to him.

"You're supposed to be in bed!" Marlene squealed, folding her arms and pouting as soon as she caught sight of her. "Cloud said so."

"She seems fine to me," the black haired woman offered. She turned to Aralyn, smiling. "Nice to see you up! Welcome to the Seventh Heaven!" She closed the cabinet she had been filling with dishes and approached her, extending a hand in welcome. "I'm Tifa. You've already met Cloud and Marlene, and the boy is Denzel. And your name is Aralyn?"

"Yes," Aralyn said. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She nodded her head in the direction of the others. Denzel gave her a wave and Cloud just looked at her with unreadable eyes.

"Are you hungry?" Tifa asked.

"I could use a little something, thank you."

She nodded and went into the back room, calling out as she left. "Cloud, will you get her something from the refrigerator?"

The blonde man stood, placing Marlene on her feet before he walked to fulfill the request. She sat next to the two children, and when Cloud returned, he slid glass of soda toward her, and she partook gratefully.

"Thirsty?" he asked when she downed the whole glass in seconds.

"It's just so good after all that water…"

"Water?" he asked.

Aralyn bit her lip. "I don't…get out much."

"Oh." He put his own soda in front of her, and waved her on when she made as if to protest. Though he seemed casual enough, Aralyn had a sinking suspicion that this was the beginning of an attempt at interrogation. She sipped the soda slowly, looking into the glass instead of at Cloud.

"Denzel, Marlene, go play outside," Cloud said, and the boy and the girl obediently left, leaving Aralyn alone with Cloud.

"You're healed," he commented. "That was…fast."

Aralyn smiled nervously and continued to sip, hoping to evade the question with the excuse that she was drinking.

"….That's good, I guess," he admitted when she would not clarify further. "Not many who encounter Sephiroth can say as much."

She noticeably winced. "No, I guess they can't." She forced a small smile. "Guess I got pretty lucky."

Cloud looked at her intensely, and Aralyn wanted to disappear. She was running out of soda to use as an excuse - soon she would be forced to speak.

When she remained adamantly silent, Cloud stood and turned his back to her, facing out the window. No one spoke for several minutes.

"Luck?" Cloud said after a long time. "That can't be all. With Sephiroth, it never is."

Aralyn's soda was gone, and she couldn't hide it because the ice rattled in the empty cup as she placed it down. Cloud waited for her answer. It was a long time in coming.

"I go there often. Maybe he's seen me before, and doesn't have any reason to think I'm a threat…."

Cloud turned to her again, and locked his icy eyes with hers.

"That wouldn't matter. Sephiroth doesn't need a reason to murder."

She choked on her breath, and she knew he saw it. "I—"

"Do you know why he spared your life?" Cloud asked, point-blank.

Aralyn was backed into a corner. She didn't want to lie, but to tell the truth would be disregarding any sense of self-preservation that she had.

"Cloud! What are you doing to the girl? She's white as a sheet!"

Tifa returned with a plate filled with food in one hand and a bowl of steaming soup in the other. She set the food in front of Aralyn along with a freshly cleaned batch of silverware and another soda.

"I'm sorry about Cloud, Aralyn. He tends to get tense where Sephiroth is involved. He really doesn't mean any harm."

Cloud frowned and began to walk away.

"I'm sorry," Aralyn breathed. "I am. But…I can't tell you anything."

Tifa placed her hand over Aralyn's and squeezed reassuringly. "I understand. You've just recovered. I don't want to dredge up bad memories. We really don't even need to know. Ultimately, it isn't our business anyway." Her head was turned toward Cloud as she spoke, who was halfway up the stairs by now.

"Just know that Sephiroth can't hurt you here, all right? And if you ever need to talk, you're not the only one here who's suffered at his hands."

"Thank you, Tifa. I appreciate it."

"It's all right. We all understand."

It was a lie. They didn't understand. They thought they knew the whole story: she had crossed Sephiroth's path by an unfortunate chance, and through some anomaly of fate, had been only wounded and not killed by the madman.

But she knew Cloud suspected otherwise, and therein laid the danger.

She supposed there could be no harm in them believing that her encounter had been due to chance, that her wounds had been fresh, that her survival was a miracle – certainly, there would be no harm to _her_.

* * *

Cloud and Tifa were fighting upstairs, doubtlessly about her arrival. Aralyn felt terrible to have caused such a heated argument. She ate alone in the bar, silent and weighed down by guilt and other heavy emotions. When her plate was only half cleared, she set down her fork, opting to shuffle the ice in her glass with the end of her spoon instead.

The sun had almost set when the two came back down. Tifa was smiling and Cloud was noticeably not.

"I had better go," Aralyn said as she stood, pushing her chair back in. "Thank you for everything—"

"Oh, no, Aralyn! It's so late, and you still must be exhausted from the ordeal," Tifa said. "Stay the night here with us!"

The image of the silver-haired remnant at the window flashed before her eyes. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly—"

"It's no trouble! The room you stayed in is a spare."

"I don't want to intrude—"

"Aralyn," Cloud said sharply. "Stay."

Tifa shot a glare at Cloud and he sighed and left. The woman approached Aralyn and took her hands earnestly.

"I'm worried about you, Aralyn. It would be a great load off my mind if you stayed until I can be sure that you're healed and back on your feet again…mentally and physically."

Aralyn stilled her protests and thought the offer over. She did owe these people, and she felt that debt deeply. However, though Tifa's reasons might have been true concern, she had a feeling that Cloud had only consented because this would allow him to keep her under close watch.

But it had been a long time since she had been with anyone else. Her life was mostly vacant of friends, and even more vacant of family…

"If that's what you want…I'll stay. But…just for a little while."


	6. The Naming

Chapter Six: The Naming

_She met Professors Hojo and Gast for the first time that day. The latter arrived first, moving to her. "Glad to see you are up. I'm Professor Gast." He held out his hand cordially and she timidly shook it. His grip was firm and confident, she noticed, and his voice was brisk, but not unkind. "And _that_…is Hojo," he continued. He leaned close to her ear, whispering so the other man wouldn't hear. "Just between you and me, he's a bit of a necessary evil. You'll get used to him." He winked kindly. "Our secret, all right?" She didn't know what he was talking about, but she filed the advice away for a later time._

_ The man he gestured to had his back turned, a slick and thin ponytail of black hair tracing his spine, stark against the white of his lab coat. He was bent over a clipboard, thin and bony hands furiously scribbling away. "Quit the idle chatter and do your job, Gast." _

_ Unlike Gast's voice, Hojo's was high and nasal, clearly accented with impatience and cruelty. When he spoke, he had neither looked up nor paused his writings. He did not acknowledge her or Sephiroth at all. _

_ Sephiroth sent murderous glares in Hojo's direction. She was almost frightened by his fierce expression. _

_ "Do you like having a friend, Sephiroth?" Gast turned to the boy, who had remained faithfully at her side. _

_ Sephiroth didn't answer, but looked to Gast with a worried expression on his face. "Don't worry," Gast mouthed in reply to the boy's silent question. "I won't let him."_

_ Gast unhooked a cloth band from the wall, wrapping it around her arm. Pressure began to build as the band inflated, and Gast's gaze turned to a meter on the wall. Humming his approval after studying it for a matter of seconds, he removed the restraint and returned it. "Fit as a fiddle," he said. _

_ Hojo turned around at this. His glasses were perched at the tip of his nose, and he pushed them up. The harsh light of the room caught the glass, and a wave of light enveloped the lenses for only a moment before revealing black, cruel and calculating eyes. Gast stepped aside to allow him to approach her; Sephiroth simultaneously moved closer._

_ "Would you be kind enough to move, Sephiroth?" Hojo's tone was anything but polite. _

_ Sephiroth's eyes flashed, but he moved over a foot or so._

_ Hojo seized her arm and she winced as she felt his cold and clammy skin. He smelled strongly of chemicals, mixed with that stale smell of nothingness that seemed to be predominant in this building. She didn't understand why, but he took painstaking care in examining her arm, checking everything from her finger joints to the way her shoulder rotated. Something about the way he handled her told her that he would take no questions, and when she looked to Gast for help, he only shook his head and held up his hands in a clear gesture of defeat. Sephiroth's tense and threatening gaze did not leave the doctor, and he followed every movement he made._

_ He released her after a rather lengthy examination, turning again to the clipboard. "Very good. I think she's ready. Now, Number 46, if you will come with me…"_

_ "Aralyn."_

_ Hojo turned and looked at Sephiroth, disapproval clearly etched on his face. "What did you say?"_

_ "Aralyn!"_

_ "What in Gaia is that, boy?"_

_ "Her! Her name is Aralyn. Not 'Number 46'. Aralyn," he insisted. His voice was strong, but youthful. Any anger or power that his words might have held was dimmed by this fact. All the same, he stared at Hojo and showed no sign of apology or repentance to his elder._

_ "Aralyn." Hojo said it slowly, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Amusing, Sephiroth, but I will call her what I will."_

_ The girl, or Aralyn, as she was now called, returned to Sephiroth. "Why Aralyn?" she whispered to him._

_ "Because it's pretty," he said simply. "And it's better than Number 46. If you don't like it though—"_

_ "No," she breathed, blushing scarlet. "I like it. Thank you."_

_ Gast intervened at this point. "Come along, Aralyn." He lifted the blankets from her body and helped her out of her bed. The tile on the floor numbed her bare feet, and she shivered._

_ "I'll get you some slippers, and more comfortable attire," Gast promised. "It does get chilly in here."_

_ "Gast?"_

_ Hojo waited at the door, holding it open in a clear indication that they should be leaving. Sephiroth's timid voice, however, had made Gast turn around. "Yes, Sephiroth?"_

_ "Can you promise me…?"_

_ "Yes. Yes, I can." Gast finished quickly, not wanting the last words to be spoken. "Her room will be next to yours, and you can wait for her there if you'd like."_

_ Hojo scoffed. "Next to him? I will not have this filthy girl contaminate my prize specimen. She may take the empty room on the fifth floor."_

_ "I'm terribly sorry, Hojo," Gast said firmly, looking his fellow scientist in the eye. "But arrangements have been made. She is roomed next to Sephiroth."_

_ "The last thing he needs is a meddlesome girl."_

_ "As educated as you may be, Hojo, and as much as you study Sephiroth, there are still a lot of things about what he needs that you have not even tried to understand."_

_ The insult rang in the air. Hojo's face showed no change, even his eyes remaining devoid of emotion. "There are places she must be," Hojo insisted. He turned and briskly walked away. "Pre-Op in five minutes, Gast. See that she is there."_

_ Gast took Aralyn's hand and gently led her. "Come along," he said. _

_ Aralyn looked back at Sephiroth, who was still perched on her bed, staring at her with an unnamable emotion in his eyes. She waved her free hand, but he didn't respond, still in his daze._

_ It looked like he mouthed "I'm sorry," as she left._


	7. A Small Favor

Chapter Seven: A Small Favor

Aralyn stayed a week, and, over time, it became harder and harder for even Cloud to be suspicious of her.

She was up and about almost immediately, showing no signs of ever having been hurt. While at first she was timid in joining in activities with the rest of the group, she eventually was always down in the bar, doing miscellaneous chores, talking with the others, or playing with Marlene or Denzel.

Other members of Avalanche came in to visit, and while Aralyn's timid nature didn't create an amazing first impression, it didn't take long for everyone to warm up to her.

She met Barret on her very first day. It had been easy for Aralyn to win the man over – all it took was one glimpse of Aralyn on the floor with Marlene, dolls in hand, with a huge grin on Marlene's face, to convince him that Aralyn was the best thing that had ever happened to his daughter.

Cid originally found nothing of note in the woman: she didn't like his tea or laugh at his off-colored humor, and so he had simply assumed that the two had nothing to talk about. It was during his second visit that the conversation had turned to the topic that brought them together: flight. She was enthralled by the stories he told of his adventures in the skies, especially the story of how he had originally met Cloud and the others in a frantic escape from the Turks. She listened to him ramble about his passion for flying when no one else would, and laughed in all the right places. "You know, you're all right," he told her, and promised to take her for a ride in his new airship when it was done being repaired.

Yuffie found little of interest in Aralyn until one of her materia-theft attempts had been thwarted. As Cid stormed through the Seventh Heaven, loudly cursing the ninja and searching every nook and cranny for her, Aralyn had remained silent, even though she had seen Yuffie climb into the dish cabinet. Ever since, the two women had a quiet admiration for one another, even if they did not do much together.

But as the week progressed, everyone could see that Aralyn was not happy at the Seventh Heaven. She denied that anything was wrong, but she often stared out the window for long periods of time. Though she tried her hardest to appear content, it was a false cover for her restlessness. Much of the time, she was uneasy – and sometimes even fearful - for reasons that she wouldn't reveal to anyone.

It was during these times that Aralyn lingered near Vincent. The enigmatic man never asked her any questions, and she found solace in his silence. Over time, he became accustomed to her presence as well.

It became commonplace for Aralyn to be at Vincent's side. They seemed to share an unspoken bond in empathy. The two understood each other better than anyone else in Avalanche did.

Once, Tifa tried to confront Vincent about the cause of Aralyn's depression. "You need to let her leave," was all he said. "She can't be at home here."

* * *

It was a hectic day. Customers flooded the Seventh Heaven, and Tifa's head was reeling to service them all. Denzel, Marlene, and Aralyn helped where they could, but they were still severely shorthanded.

The phone rang in the adjacent room. Tifa sighed in fatigue, wiped flour from her hands with a dishtowel, and headed to get it. Her greeting was cheerful, but all her replies after that were hesitant. "Strife Delivery Service, you name it, we deliver it. . .of course we can do that. Now? Uh, give us twenty minutes or so. All right. We'll be there."

Tifa reentered, holding her hands out in defeat. "Another order."

"Let me take it," Cloud offered quickly. "You've been working all day."

"Thanks, Cloud, but it's almost closing time and things are winding down. You and the kids can handle things until then. Everyone will be arriving soon after that, and you're the one they need to see."

"I could skip that," he said sheepishly.

"You'd be all too happy to, wouldn't you?"

Aralyn caught the hint and sprang on her opportunity. "Let me go! I know the city, and it's the least I can do after all you've done for me."

Tifa and Cloud exchanged looks. "You sure you're all right?" Tifa asked.

"I'm fine! I've been healed for a long time now."

"And we'll go with her!" Marlene chirped as she grabbed the young boy's hand. "Denzel and I. We'll keep her safe!"

Cloud grimaced, clearly not liking the idea. Tifa looked at him, holding up flour-dusted hands in defeat. "That would be a great help, Aralyn, if you're certain it wouldn't be a strain on you."

"It won't," she promised.

"I'll load the bike up, then." Cloud rose from his seat, heading toward the back room. Tifa motioned them back, giving Aralyn a grateful smile as she passed by.

On the way back Aralyn asked Cloud, "What is it that you'd love to miss, but can't?"

Cloud gave her a half smile. "Tifa's idea. A birthday party."

"I didn't know that! Happy birthday, then!" Aralyn said, making sure the children's helmets were securely on before fastening her own. "Tifa's right, you should stay here to celebrate." She turned behind her, making sure that the cardboard box was safely strapped into place on the back of the bike.

It was decided that Marlene would ride first, while Denzel and Aralyn walked beside her. The trip wasn't far, and it would only take about an hour to ride there, deliver the package, and return. Tifa assured them that there would be a party waiting for them when they got back.

"Just be careful!" Tifa shouted as they continued to their destination.

"We will!" Marlene replied. "It's just around town!"

The clock hit six just as Tifa and Cloud reentered. "One hour," she muttered to herself. "They should be back by seven."

* * *

And then it was midnight.

Tifa sat at a table with her head in her hands, unable to believe that neither the kids nor Aralyn had returned yet. The party continued, but it was forced, the news taking away any fun that might have been had. The air was thick, and everyone was noticeably conversing with Tifa only to distract her. Cloud, Barret and Cid had gone to search at about eight, but the one call she received from Cloud told her that they had scoured every possible route they might have taken. There was nothing. Nothing that could be attributed to Marlene, Denzel, or Aralyn was within miles of their intended destination.

And what disturbed her most was the fact that the delivery had not been made; they hadn't even made it there. The customer had called to complain to Tifa. "You said it would be here by now! What kind of a business are you running?"

It was with extreme difficulty that Tifa had explained that the delivery had been intercepted. It took all she had to keep from losing her temper with the woman.

Yuffie perched herself on the seat next to Tifa, casually putting her feet on the table. "Maybe they just got lost," she offered.

"And miss their target by more than a mile?" Vincent asked.

"It's a possibility!" Yuffie insisted. When Tifa wasn't looking, she turned him. "Thanks a lot, Vincent," she mouthed sarcastically.

Vincent didn't respond to this. It was clear what he thought had happened, though he didn't voice it in consideration of Tifa. No one did, though it loomed over their thoughts like a stormy cloud.

"I shouldn't have let them go," Tifa said quietly. "Not when…_he_ is back."

"Sephiroth's probably got much nastier things to do than chase after-"

A high, mechanical melody rang out through the room, making everyone jump in surprise. Vincent casually reached into his cloak, pulling out a cell phone and flipping it open. Tifa held her breath, knowing it was dark news; if it were otherwise, Cloud would have called her directly.

"They found the bike," he said after his short, muted conversation. "What was left of it."

Tifa opened her mouth to reply, but Yuffie voiced the words. "And the kids? Aralyn?"

Vincent shook his head. "Nothing. He says they'll keep looking."

Before anyone could say anything more, a tiny tap sounded on the door. Leaping to her feet, Tifa flew to answer it. Vincent and Yuffie heard a cry of relief before they could see what was happening. When they could, they found Denzel and Marlene, both encircled in Tifa's arms. There was a nasty cut on Denzel's cheek, Marlene's dress was torn and she was frightened and pale, but both were present, and very much alive.

"Aralyn?" Tifa asked. "What happened? Where is she?"

Marlene shrank back, only kept from retreating further by Denzel's grip on her wrist. Denzel swayed a little, lowering his head. "The three Sephiroth remnants," he whispered. "They took her."


	8. Bitter Betrayal

Chapter Eight: Bitter Betrayal

Aralyn sat on the cold, metal floor, her hands bound around a pole that chilled her back, keeping her upright. A thick, cotton cloth had been tied around her mouth and she was similarly bound at the ankles. Her captors had even gone so far as to encircle her neck with rope tied around the pole so she couldn't move her head without strangling herself.

She could not have identified where she was in the thick darkness, even if she could move her head to examine her situation. The crescent moon shone through a hole in the ceiling, lighting her surroundings just enough for her to see that she was in some ruined building. Further details were lost to her.

She didn't need to see, however, to feel the presence of the three men who had taken her.

_Her memory of her capture was blurred, as if she were viewing it through murky water. It had all happened so fast. They hadn't been far from their destination; Marlene had been chattering innocently about something or another and Denzel had been keeping her from wandering too far. Aralyn had been the first to hear the quiet footsteps behind and in front of them._

_ "Run," Aralyn whispered. "Denzel, get Marlene out of here."_

_ "What is it? What do you see?"_

_ "Run. Go. If I don't come back, don't come for me."_

_ "What's going on, Aralyn?" Marlene asked, frightened._

_ But the footsteps were closer. In desperation, Aralyn threw Denzel and Marlene to the side. "Run!" she ordered. Not a second later, the first shot had been fired. _

_ Denzel looked back, terrified to leave her at the mercy of their attackers. "GO!" she screamed one final time, and they finally obeyed. _

_ To her infinite relief, the men had not pursued the children. It was her they had wanted. _

The silver haired trio had not spoken to her as of yet, preferring to keep at a distance. All showed a peculiar interest in her, as if she were some rare artifact or a specimen to be studied. They handled her with something close to confused reverence, and it frightened her.

Had _he_ sent them?

The one with the long hair (she thought his name was Yazoo, though she wasn't sure) was in front of her, and if she squinted hard enough, she could barely make out his tall form in the shadows. He had not moved since the other two had tied her up. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze nonetheless. Of the three, he had taken the most interest in her, watching her at all times from a safe distance.

The other two were behind her, speaking in hushed tones. Something was said, and the remnant closest to her finally raised his head, his silver hair gleaming in the moonlight. "What are you going to do with her, Kadaj?" His voice was calm, frighteningly so. Shivers ran up her spine, causing her to sit up straighter and press her back firmly against the pole.

"_He_ said she should have died a long time ago." The voice was silky, as his brother's had been, and coldly disinterested. "He was going to finish her off himself, but…well," he chuckled darkly, frightening Aralyn more than the silence ever had, "it wasn't even worth his time."

Aralyn's eyes widened.

"So he asked you to help?" Yazoo asked, turning his haunting gaze back to Aralyn.

"Let's just say I'm performing an act of service."

Aralyn winced and drew in a sharp breath as cold metal brushed her cheek. "Hello, Aralyn," Kadaj said in a playful voice. "How are you today?"

Aralyn turned her head away. The ropes pressed against her neck, but she didn't care if she was losing a little breath if it meant that she could get any amount of distance between the two of them. Kadaj laughed at her apparent fear. "Have you been eavesdropping? That's not very nice…"

"Kadaj, I don't think—"

"Yazoo," Kadaj snapped, turning sharply to his brother. "Sephiroth wanted this. We're just helping him along. He's so busy with Mother's plan that he doesn't have time for _pest_ control."

Aralyn clenched her eyes shut. _He wanted this…?_ She started shaking, feeling tears rise to the surface. She started breathing deeper. She shouldn't cry. But though it had been several years, she couldn't deny the pain of this final betrayal.

Kadaj's hands swept under her eyes. "What's this? _Tears_? After all these years, you haven't come to expect this?" Mockingly, he brushed his thumbs over the trails left on her face. "Don't you worry now, we'll put you out of your misery soon enough."

The third remnant, the tallest one with the short hair, walked over, smirking in the darkness as he readied the weapon strapped to his forearm. "I want to play first."

Kadaj chuckled. "Sounds like fun, Loz." The youngest remnant retreated a ways, sweeping his arm toward her as he left. "Be my guest."


	9. Scientific Miscalculation

Chapter Nine: Scientific Miscalculation

_When she awakened, she was on a steel table, her head in a brace and her ankles and wrists in steel cuffs, binding her firmly. A mask covered her mouth and nose, assisting her in her breathing, but the gas it gave her smelled funny and tickled her nose. An IV was in her arm; she could only tell by the feel of the rough medical tape._

_ She groaned, reluctant to expose her eyes to the harsh light but anxious to see where she was. When she finally attempted, she was blinded not only by the light, but its reflection against silver machinery and mirrors. Her eyes watered and she clenched them tightly together._

_ "Get her something for her eyes," a feminine voice said. "She's coming around."_

_ "Right."_

_ Something was slid over her face, and when she opened her eyes, she found that a dark film had been draped across them. She blinked, her eyes focusing to reveal the face of a nurse, half covered by a surgical mask._

_ The nurse's eyes crinkled in a smile. "Hey there," she said warmly. "Is that better?"_

_ She wanted to nod, but her entire head was surrounded by the brace. She had to speak if she wanted to communicate. "Yeah," she said. Her voice was hoarse, as if she had just woken up after a long night's sleep. "Where?"_

_ "The operating room," the nurse answered. She must have looked alarmed because the nurse smiled and gave her hand a pat. "But don't worry, it's over. You're all done."_

_ "What's done?" she still was only half coherent, and she had a feeling that the funny smelling gas wasn't meant to help that. _

_ "Hey, I need to test you a little, is that okay? It shouldn't hurt."_

_ Aralyn knew that the nurse was avoiding the question, but she wasn't feeling like putting the effort into questioning further. "Is Sephiroth here?"_

_ "Would you like to see him?"_

_ "Yes, please," Aralyn said softly._

_ The woman sitting above her addressed another nurse who had wheeled a cart over to her side. "Joyce, get Sephiroth. Chances are he's in his quarters."_

_ "He shouldn't be in here!" the other replied. "She shouldn't even be conscious in here!" _

_ "Sephiroth's been in here more times than we have," the nurse replied. "He won't mind another visit as long as he's not the one strapped to the table."_

_ The second nurse sighed in defeat and left._

_ The metal band around her left wrist was removed. "Can you lift your arm, Aralyn?"_

_ She tried, she honestly did, but her arm may as well have been carved out of lead for all the good her efforts did. "Well, try to at least wiggle your fingers," the nurse encouraged, sounding a little worried._

_ After minutes of frustrated attempts, Aralyn let herself go limp and accepted that she no longer had any control of her arm._

_ "Oh dear," the nurse said. "Hojo needs to see this…"_

_ "What happened?" She struggled harder than ever against the head brace, trying in vain to catch a glimpse of her no longer usable arm. "What did you do to me?!"_

_ "It's all right," she soothed. "We'll fix it. Hojo will know what to do…"_

_ "Aralyn!"_

_ Sephiroth's footsteps were rapid and soon his emerald eyes were peering up at her, the bottom half of his face blocked by the table. "Are you okay, Aralyn? What did they do to you?" His voice was quick and frantic. _

_ "Sephiroth, you'll have to leave. We're going to have to get Hojo to fix her arm." The nurse put her hands on his shoulders and tried to guide him away, but he would have none of that. He flung her hands off his shoulders. _

_ "No! Don't get Hojo! Let me get Gast!"_

_ "Sephiroth, don't be silly. I know Gast is your favorite but this isn't his specialty. Joyce, will you go and get Professor Hojo?"_

_ "No!" Sephiroth shrieked, his voice cracking and the blood rushing from his already pale face. "No! He'll make it worse! She's fine," he insisted. Quickly and decisively he shimmied up the table, ripping the gas mask from her face. He placed a hand over her mouth to ensure that she breathed properly before tossing the mask aside. "See? She's just fine!" He then quickly began to unwrap the medical tape, pulling the needle of the IV free of her arm. _

_ "Sephiroth." Only that voice could quench Sephiroth's fire. The boy stopped abruptly, his hands frozen in the middle of his next mission, which had been attacking her restraints._

_ "Sephiroth, get down," Hojo said._

_ Sephiroth seemed to compose himself, and he sat up straighter. "No." But the word was whispered, and the color had not returned to his cheeks._

_ "Sephiroth, go, please," Aralyn pleaded. "He'll make you."_

_ "No. I won't leave." There was a fire in his eyes that Aralyn hadn't seen before. "He'll do to you what he did to me. I won't let that happen."_

_ The formidable doctor approached the boy, taking him roughly by his collar as if he were a disobedient puppy. "Learn your place, Sephiroth," Hojo hissed, dropping him unceremoniously on his feet. _

_ The nurse picked up the mask and removed the film from Aralyn's face. The girl clenched her eyes shut against the light as she felt the nurse press the mask firmly against her face. "Be at ease, Sephiroth." The gas started flowing again and Aralyn felt her resistance dissolve into drowsiness._

_ "Now get out of here before I change my mind," Hojo snapped. _

_ Sephiroth turned and quickly moved, anxious to escape Hojo and spare Aralyn from whatever the implied alternative was._

_ "Why was he…so…worried…?" But her lips were hard to move and her tongue was like cotton. _

_ Hojo scoffed, cutting off any reply the nurse might have given, and that was the last thing she heard before the darkness took her._


	10. Broken Oath

Chapter Ten: Broken Oath

Kadaj moved behind her and cut the ropes binding her, exposing her two raw wrists to the air. She shakily stood up, leaning against the pole, the metal slick and cold against her back. She closed her eyes, unsure of what to expect. Her breathing was rapid and her cramped muscles protested against the strain of standing.

An electric shock was punched into her stomach before she opened her eyes. Aralyn doubled over, crying out in pain, her hair flying over her shoulders. She felt a warm liquid trickle down her shirt and paled. She wrapped her arms around her torso but it could not stop the flow.

Aralyn heard Loz chuckle. Before she could compose herself again, she heard leather rustle. She looked back only briefly to see Loz's boot swinging toward her, hitting her side with a loud, sharp crack. Aralyn was flung to the ground, gasping through the pain as she tried to find her breath. By the lingering stabbing sensation, she assumed that at least one of her ribs had been broken.

"She's not much fun, brother," Loz complained. "She's already down!"

Kadaj walked over and addressed his brother. "She is weak, but I don't think she's done just yet." He finished his malicious statement and stood above her, drawing his double-bladed katana and pointing it at her. "Get up," he commanded harshly.

Aralyn turned her head away, knowing that such a feat was impossible. The world was tilting as it was, and she was even lying down. Kadaj, however, seemed to think either that she was quite able or that it would be infinitely amusing to make her. Maybe it was a little of both. He swung his blade at her, making it clear that she would move or she would die.

Somehow she managed to pull herself up by using her arms, which were relatively unharmed at the moment. She clung to the wall, trying not to move and breathing carefully so as not to aggravate her ribs. In a sudden lapse of strength, she swooned and fell into a sitting position. She clutched her side, all too aware that the front of her shirt was staining her arm with blood.

"Do you like to dance, Aralyn?" Kadaj asked playfully. He flicked his katana at her legs, drawing a thin, shallow line of blood. Aralyn shirked away, trying in vain to escape.

"Dance!" Kadaj giggled, flicking the blade at her again and again. The wounds were shallow, none of them serious on their own, but stung like a whip and came just as fast. She clumsily tried to evade him, though the world tilted and spun wildly and blotches of vibrant color were appearing before her eyes.

She clung to the wall, as it was her only support. She twisted as she tried to escape the sword's lashes, but wasn't able to move much more than inches at a time. As a result, her attempts were futile and not one blow was successfully evaded. He took advantage of her current injury. Every move she made, instinctive or not, triggered the stabbing pain in her side. She was growing weaker through the loss of blood and she took comfort in the fact that they couldn't possibly draw it out much longer. Maybe, if she was lucky, a move would puncture her lungs and then it would be over.

_ Sephiroth, how could you…?_

Kadaj's laughter echoed through her mind as she weakened, fighting less and less as her strength failed her. Eventually she couldn't hold to the wall any longer, and she collapsed to the ground, Kadaj leaping forward to wreak havoc on her body. Loz quickly joined him, sending numerous electric shocks through her. She tried to fight, and struggled as much as she could, but she was thwarted by the two men's raw strength. Her voice was hoarse, worn out by her screams and unheeded pleas. Kadaj and Loz showed no compassion, and battered her body ceaselessly. Yazoo just stood by, paralyzed.

Even worse than the physical agony were their eyes. Catlike, unnaturally and venomously green, they burned her with unhidden malice and frightening intensity. There was no distinguishable humanoid trait in those eyes; not the smallest iota of pity or remorse for what they were doing.

Just like _his_ had been on that night beneath the wintry corpses of the trees.

_Sephiroth_…

Blood spilled down her body, pooling thickly around her and staining the ground as it flowed away with her life. A word sprang to her lips, but she suppressed it, pushing it back into the shadows that were taking her. She had sworn a thousand oaths never to speak that word, even though she knew that if she fell asleep, she would never wake again. Her breaths came with increasing effort, slowing, slowing…

She would never know how it came, or what the final restraint that had been broken was, but her defenses shattered. One moment they had been weakened, but intact, and the next they were gone. Throwing Kadaj's arms from her, she opened her mouth and with a short lived flare of strength, broke the oaths she had sworn in a single, solitary second of weakness.

"_Sephiroth_!" she screamed with all of her strength. Yazoo unexpectedly turned to her, shock clearly etched in his expression. He looked at her, his head tilted slightly to one side, awaiting what her next move would be.

_ "Sephiroth, you traitor!" _

Yazoo's mouth fell slightly agape, appalled that she would dare to call on the man who had done this to her. From the stoic and unreadable expression that followed, however, she knew that Yazoo did not expect his leader to pay the least amount of attention to her pleas.

Loz and Kadaj had stopped at her outcry, giving her an opportunity to breathe again. She rolled onto her side, choking on the air that was suddenly overwhelmingly plentiful and tasting blood in her mouth.

This respite was not to last. Kadaj forcefully grabbed her chin and jerked her head so that she had no choice but to meet his eyes. She whimpered as her rib was jostled, and Kadaj's malevolent smile grew.

"What did you expect, Aralyn?" He had drawn himself so close to her face that she could feel his warm breath. She closed her eyes, wanting to escape, but Kadaj would not allow this, and he shook her violently until she opened them again, gasping and fighting to both breathe and retain some semblance of dignity.

"Did you think he would come? Did you think he would _save _you?" he continued mockingly. He brought his blade to rest in the small of her neck, still stained with her own blood. She shivered at the cold touch of the metal. "When he's the one that wanted this? I wish I could show you how happy he'll be when I bring your body to him." He slid the blade across her throat, not enough to break the skin, but more than ample to send her heart racing. He laughed maliciously. "You do want to make him smile now, don't you?"

Kadaj knew that at this point he had pushed her beyond her limits, and he raised the katana, holding it perpendicular to the ground above her heart. He placed the very tip on her chest, chuckling at her frightened reaction. Yazoo turned his back in anticipation of what was coming while Loz drew closer, holding her arms firmly to the ground with inhuman strength.

"No," she breathed, her voice dry and raspy. "No, I…didn't expect him to…even hear me…"

Kadaj smiled as he slowly lifted the blade, increasing the distance between her body and the tip but not altering the course it would inevitably follow. "Then maybe you're not as foolish as I thought."

Kadaj raised the blade high above his head.

Aralyn clenched her eyes shut and waited for the end. She could not hold back a scream of terror.

"Enough."

The voice was neither loud nor forceful, and yet it rang with power and authority. There was no emotion in his voice; no joy, sorrow, anger, concern, or relief.

Loz let go of her, pouting, and Kadaj shrank back and released her as if she had suddenly become hot to the touch. Aralyn opened her eyes, trying to focus through the tears that blurred her vision.

There he was, his silhouette a strong, commanding shadow against the light of the crescent moon and stars. He stood tall and regal in black leather in the moonlight, his hip length, pale silver hair flowing and gleaming around him like a subtly rebellious river. Even from the distance and through the veil of moisture she could see the burning green orbs that contrasted so vividly with his pale skin. He advanced slowly, his pace neither quickening nor slowing as his eyes searched out hers.

Aralyn could not stop the quivering that violently shook her body at the majestic and haunting angel. Though her voice was abused and her breath scarce and precious, she whispered in fear the name of the figure on whom she had called.

"Sephiroth…"


	11. Human Experiments

Chapter Eleven: Human Experiments

_ He was at her side when she awoke again, staring at her until he would take a small break to look at the clock in worry and impatience. She caught him in the latter phase, and began to sit to let him know she was up. He turned to her quickly as he registered her movement, his head whipping around rapidly, and then the anxiety and rage in his eyes subsided a little._

_ "Are you…okay?" he asked timidly, putting a hand on the arm that had been operated on._

_ It took a while for Aralyn's brain to come to the point where she could remember what he was talking about. It came back all at once, overwhelming her with the memories of the lights and the inability to perform the most basic of tasks with her arm. She closed her eyes and took a breath, keeping the panic at bay by reminding herself that it was over and done._

_ At Sephiroth's hesitant request, Aralyn started by wiggling the tips of her fingers, and was rewarded with success. She worked her way up, testing her hand, then wrist, elbow, and shoulder. There was no pain or trouble accompanying the movements. "It's like nothing happened," she said, greatly relieved._

_ "You can go ahead and think that," Sephiroth muttered, turning away. His expression was troubled. _

_ "I'm all right, Sephiroth," she assured him. She grinned and reached out toward his face, putting one hand on each side and pulling his cheeks into a very false, but very comical smile. "See?"_

_ Sephiroth wasn't smiling when she released him, and she stopped her laughter, feeling awkward at his silence. "It's not all right," he said, reaching out for her arm again. "You don't know what they did to you."_

_ He turned her arm at an unusual angle, stopping when going any further would have hurt her. "You can't see all of it," he said. "But look. The scar…it runs all the way up your arm." _

_ She couldn't see it fully; her head's position wouldn't allow it. She could, however, make out a pale red line, separated by even stitches of black thread, before it disappeared from her view._

_ "So I have a scar. It will heal. Maybe not the whole way, but I'll live with it. I don't understand, Sephiroth. It's over, and I'm fine."_

_ "You think Hojo just left it at that? Just a scar?" Sephiroth's voice was harsh and angry, and Aralyn flattened against the wall, afraid at this new, furious demon. Sephiroth raised his head, his eyes burning, until he saw how Aralyn had shied away from him. _

_ "I have to go," he muttered, his voice barely distinguishable. The fury had not subsided, though he was trying very hard to suppress it._

_ "No, please, stay here! Stay with me!" Suddenly the thought of being alone was frightening, and even more daunting was the notion that Hojo might show up. "Don't leave."_

_ "You don't need me now," he said as he slid from her bedside. "I just want to…I'll be…I don't know. Away. From here."_

_ "Then at least tell me what happened!" Aralyn said. "What did Hojo do to me, and what were you so scared of in the operating room? What did you think he'd do to me?"_

_ Sephiroth's wing twitched, the action reminding her of a shudder. The rest of his body was rigid and tense. "He didn't sedate me," he began in a dead tone of voice. "Not when he grafted in…" He trailed off, his wing fidgeting again, this time his hands shaking along with it, "…my wing."_

_ Aralyn was stunned into silence for a moment. "Sephiroth…"_

_ "But I won't let him do anything like that to you," he said solemnly. "Whatever my power is, I promise I will use it to protect you. I swear it!" he repeated firmly._

_ Aralyn could not speak. She stared at him for a long time, but he still remained with his back toward her, troubled but resolute. A machine attached to her arm whirred softly, and a noisy, clattering cart was wheeled along the hallway outside. People spoke just outside her door, and Sephiroth and Aralyn drew in sharp breaths as they recognized Hojo's voice._

_ When it became apparent that Hojo would not enter for a moment, he moved a pale hand to pull a few stray strands of silver hair out of his face. "I don't know why," he said, his voice calm and almost musing as he answered Aralyn's unasked question. "I don't know why I promised that. But you make me feel…" he stopped, shuffling his feet as he searched for a word, then sighing in defeat as nothing presented itself. "And I meant it."_

_ The door opened, and as they had feared, it was Hojo who entered, this time unaccompanied by Gast. He stopped when he saw the child half his size standing firmly in front of him and sighed, clearly irritated. "Sephiroth, you may leave now."_

_ "No."_

_ "If she's all right, she'll be in her quarters in an hour. You can see her then." This was not meant as a condolence, but as an excuse to remove the boy from the premises. He flicked his hand at Sephiroth in dismissal._

_ "No, I want to stay with her."_

_ "Then stay in that corner and don't interfere," Hojo sneered as he gestured to the furthest corner from Aralyn._

_ "I'll do what I want," Sephiroth spat back in childish spite. "Just try to stop me!"_

_ Hojo pushed his glasses up further with one bony finger, his face set in disapproval. He opened his mouth to reply to this challenge but a feminine voice interrupted. "Oh, let him stay. He's too stubborn to be stopped; it's in his blood."_

_ The woman that Aralyn recognized as Joyce walked into the room, smiling slyly at Hojo at her inside joke. Hojo did not find this amusing, but strode past Sephiroth without any attempts at removing him. Sephiroth's green, catlike eyes followed every move the older man made. _

_ "Okay, Aralyn," Joyce said as she gently grabbed her arm. "Let's see how you're doing."_


	12. Rescue and Revival

Chapter Twelve: Rescue and Revival

Sephiroth continued toward Aralyn, stopping at her side. He gazed at her intently, but his face, as always, betrayed no hint as to what he was thinking or what he was planning to do. Loz looked at him in anticipation, clearly expecting him to finish her off. Kadaj looked noticeably unnerved by his master's arrival, and Yazoo, in sharp contrast, looked hopeful and relieved.

Aralyn was afraid to look at him, but even more afraid to look away. She found that her memories of him were flawed; she had forgotten to some degree how powerful he was and how haunting his dead, unfeeling emerald eyes were, especially as he stared down at her from his full height. She fought hard against the shivers that ran up and down her spine.

"Leave," Sephiroth commanded his remnants. The three men quickly obeyed, but before they had gone too far he spoke again. "Yazoo."

The remnant stopped in reply to his commander's voice.

"You know your place," Sephiroth continued. "Do not make me elaborate."

Yazoo scoffed quietly, pivoting and serenely following the others. He was going slower than the rest, no doubt meant to convey some sort of rebellion to Sephiroth. The general took no heed except for a brief flash of comprehension in his eyes.

The place was silent except for Aralyn's heavy breathing. Sephiroth raised his view, staring out at the horizon for an eternity before he knelt at her side. Silently, his face still blank, he reached for her arm, pulling up the nearly shredded sleeve and tracing one finger along the scar from her operation as a child, now so faded with time that it was invisible except for those who knew where to look. She shivered and tried to retract her arm, but he held fast.

She rolled her head to the opposite side and gave up, knowing that she stood no chance against him even when she was at full strength. She closed her eyes and drifted, shamefully aware that tears were trickling from her eyes. Sephiroth neither moved nor spoke, showing no sign that he even cared for her fate.

It was when she was just about to slip into her final sleep when Sephiroth finally reacted to her situation. He rolled her so that she lay on her back, then one hand connected with her shoulder, holding her firmly in place. Before she could realize what he was doing, he pressed his other hand firmly on where her broken ribs were.

Aralyn's eyes shot open, and she screamed, attempting to sit only to be held by Sephiroth's inhuman strength to the ground. He hummed in something akin to satisfaction as the desired effect took place; the pain had caused her to gasp in a deep breath.

"Are you going to breathe on your own?" Sephiroth asked. "Or must I continue?"

"Why not?" Aralyn asked. Her voice was weak, but was tinged with bitterness and sorrow. "This is what you wanted…isn't it?"

Sephiroth didn't reply, but pressed much harder on her ribs when her breathing slowed again.

"Stop it!" Aralyn cried, fighting against him in vain. "You've done enough! Just leave me!"

"You'll die," he stated dryly.

"So let me! I don't care."

Sephiroth sighed softly, as if he were dealing with a particularly troublesome child. "You lie. I know how you fear the darkness." He removed his hands from her shoulder, but brought them back again as a multicolored glint caught his eye.

"You still have it?" he asked. He seized the necklace in his hand and held fast to it. "It's a child's trinket, Aralyn. You really should grow up." With that, he yanked on the chain, and the necklace broke. There were two charms now; he noticed because one of them snapped in his hand.

Aralyn grabbed his hand before he could drop the necklace. "Maybe…I don't…want to."

He shook his head, his long silver hair shimmering in the moonlight. "Keep your precious memories, then." He dropped the broken necklace and the shard of the charm into her palm.

He withdrew his hand, which was now streaked with Aralyn's blood. He looked at it intently, his lips twitching as if the blood caused him some degree of pain. He then turned to her, seeming to analyze how deeply she was hurt for the first time.

Handling her carefully, he slid one hand under her neck and put the other under her knees. He lifted her slowly, adjusting her so that she was held close against his body. When he had pulled himself up to full height, he began to take her away. He didn't seem to notice that her blood was flowing freely, staining his clothes and hands in crimson. He didn't turn his gaze to her once throughout their journey, staring stubbornly ahead instead.

She tried to fight at first, but soon stopped due to fatigue. Though her face was set in an expression of anger, she couldn't deny that she was, at long length, where she had dreamed of being every day and night of the past years: in his arms.


	13. First Home

Chapter Thirteen: First Home

_Aralyn remained silent throughout the examination, letting them test her in whatever way they saw fit. She honestly had no idea what they were doing, and there was too much to think about to truly care. _

_ She didn't look at Hojo because now she knew the truth. He was a monster._

_ Perhaps that was too light a term. Sephiroth's attitude towards the professor certainly told her that he thought the same. Unlike her, however, he had the courage to stare daggers at the Hojo's back while she couldn't even muster the will to meet his eyes._

_ "It doesn't hurt, does it?" Joyce asked, putting something cold and metallic near her elbow. _

_ Aralyn shook her head._

_ "Her body seems to have accepted it," Joyce continued, speaking to Hojo. "How long do you think it will be before we can test?"_

_ "Before the week is over," the professor said casually. "She's recovering at a remarkable rate, really. If all my subjects were like this I might get more experiments done instead of having such a line up…"_

_ Sephiroth's expression could have killed, and his tightly clenched fists were quivering with rage._

_ After they had verified that she was quite all right, Joyce helped her to stand. Hojo exited and the nurse led her to a corner that could be blocked off by curtains. "Here," she said as she offered Aralyn a pair of light pink sweatpants and a white, long-sleeved shirt. "It's not much, but it's better than that gown."_

_ Aralyn smiled in gratitude and retreated behind the curtain to change. She found a bin in the corner and threw the old clothes in, glad to be rid of it. When she emerged, she found Joyce looking over Sephiroth's shoulder. The boy held the clipboard, and he ran his fingers along it as he scanned the information. His eyes were intent, and Aralyn soon realized why. Her name was on the back. He was getting to the bottom of what they were doing to her._

_ "You can understand all this medical jargon?" Joyce asked, amazed. "And you're how old?"_

_ He didn't reply, and handed the board back to her. "I'll walk with her to her room."_

_ Joyce smiled and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad you have a friend, Sephiroth. You need the company." She left without further comment._

_ "Joyce doesn't seem too bad," Aralyn offered once she had left. _

_ "She isn't," Sephiroth replied. "Except when she's mad at you she scolds you like a child."_

_ "It could be worse."_

_ Sephiroth laughed bitterly. "Yeah. If I get _Hojo_ mad he-"_

_ Aralyn grimaced. Sephiroth realized he was making her uncomfortable and quickly changed the subject. "But some of the Turks are great! Like Jack! You can get away with doing anything to him! He makes some really great sounds when he's startled too…"_

_ The conversation continued on that much lighter note as the pair went down the hallway and into the elevator. After a short venture, they came to two doors, one marked with Sephiroth's name and the other blank._

_ "They said you could have that one," he said, gesturing to the unmarked door. "It's a great location, almost as good as mine! The vents go almost anywhere in the building, so it's easy to get around. You get an open window, which I might have to make use of sometime because mine was barred after I got caught sneaking out."_

_ "Don't they block your vents too?" she asked._

_ "I haven't been caught yet. Don't you dare tell!" Aralyn chuckled and pressed a finger to her lips in an unspoken vow of secrecy. He nodded in approval._

_ "I'll teach you the routes sometime after you're settled in." He went to her door, grasping the silver knob that was at the level of his eyes. _

_ He leapt inside, Aralyn following timidly after. The room was bare, the harsh lighting making the white walls blinding. Like the offices and the labs, everything was either white or steel. A small bed was in the corner, dressed in white sheets, and at its foot was a small desk. There were closet doors opposite her bed that were adorned with only plain, dark knobs. The floor was the predictable, white and gray streaked tile. And, true to Sephiroth's description, an unbarred window granted her a view of Midgar, though currently rough white curtains held the sunlight aloof. _

_ "It's…nice," Aralyn said halfheartedly, dismayed by the lack of color and the arrangement that reminded her of the rest of the building._

_ Sephiroth frowned. "No it's not. It's horrible." He shrugged as he pulled open the curtains. "Mine's not much better, to be honest."_

_ "You miss the color too?"_

_ "I tried coloring my walls with some crayons Joyce gave me for my birthday one year, but Hojo said I ruined the 'professional atmosphere' or something and made me clean it up." _

_ "Maybe we could sneak something in!" Aralyn suggested. _

_ Sephiroth smirked. "I like the way you think! And I know just the lady to ask, too."_

_ "Who is it?"_

_ "Dr. Crescent. She's really nice, but she's always so sad when I show up. Hojo doesn't like me seeing her though. I think it's because she has a really soft spot for me."_

_ "Why's she so sad?" Aralyn asked, climbing onto her bed and gesturing for Sephiroth to sit beside her. _

_ "I don't know," he said, climbing up beside her. "Gast said she wasn't always like that." His expression turned from pensive to scheming. "But I just have to find a time to talk to her when Hojo's not around. She'll get us some paints!"_

_ Aralyn smiled and sighed contently. She really liked this unfamiliar side of Sephiroth. He was lighter, and a lot less tense, although still not as carefree as your average seven-year-old. "I'd like that," she said. But she knew that even if it fell through, she could call this home if he was always just next door._

_ That was the first day, and she prayed that it wasn't the last, that Aralyn saw Sephiroth's true smile._


	14. Forgotten Memories

Chapter Fourteen: Forgotten Memoirs

Sephiroth stood outside the door of a small, rundown apartment, the lighting from the nearby lamppost illuminating only enough to see the black numbers painted on the door: 314B. Aralyn stirred and let out a quiet sigh, but just when he thought she would wake she fell still again.

"You're home," he said.

She didn't reply. He hadn't expected her to.

Carefully balancing her weight on one arm, he slipped a hand into her pocket, making a small, satisfied noise when he grasped a key ring. There were only two keys, and, as luck would have it, the first slid effortlessly into the door. Once the lock was free, he kicked the door open, putting his other arm back around her to support her better.

There was a star shaped night-light in the corner, revealing a small patch of faded turquoise and sea-green print wallpaper. He shook his head; she had always been terrified of the dark, a fear he found irrational and childish. From its small light, however, he could find the switch to turn on the main lights. After the three bare light bulbs dangling from the ceiling flickered twice and then on, he took a moment to examine the meager furniture and décor, then set the keys onto a small table that was the room's centerpiece.

The walls were a continuation of the blue and green pattern, though in some areas the wallpaper was peeling or even absent. Some of these holes were covered by framed paintings, but there were no photos. The floor was covered in thin, tan colored carpet. The furniture consisted of a small, old television propped up on a wood shelf and a couch in the corner next to the table he had placed the keys on. A ceramic vase was the centerpiece, but the flowers inside were wilting, some petals having fallen to the table. The window remained uncovered, letting the moonlight spill in.

He moved the table to the side with one foot, clearing a space large enough for him to lay her comfortably in. He laid her down as gently as he could, but he couldn't tell if she was comfortable; she had not moved. He put an ear near her mouth, listening for her breath. It came, but the intervals were random and the breaths were shallow and raspy. The pulse in her cold wrist was slowing.

Sephiroth began to search for medical supplies, opening every cabinet in search of anything that might help. He found pots, pans, silverware, and simple ceramic dishes, but nothing that would stem the flow of blood or prevent further infection. At one point he came across a ten pack of rainbow colored adhesive bandages, but they were small, and wouldn't even begin to cover the gashes across her body. He tossed them aside, frustrated by the meager and useless findings.

When the kitchen yielded nothing, he moved to the bathroom. He found a towel and a few washrags, but even if they were torn into strips they wouldn't be enough. He threw them over his shoulder so they wouldn't hinder his hands, which continued to rummage through every drawer and cabinet he could find.

He pulled back the small mirror, which served as a door for her medicine cabinet. There were small orange bottles filled with multicolored pills in surprising quantities, and they came in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Drawing his brows together, he grabbed one and examined the label. Not satisfied, he grabbed more, and found that they all had been prescribed by a doctor's name that he did not recognize. Among them were at least three varieties of pain medication, and the rest were substances that even he didn't recognize.

_Experimental _drugs, he realized, and very likely risky ones. He scoured the labels, but could find no clue as to what these medicines were, much less what they were prescribed to treat.

Except for the lithium…

Turning his mind back to the more immediate problem, he finished his search of the bathroom and turned to the last room in the house: Aralyn's bedroom. Not even hesitating, he opened the door and stepped into her innermost sanctuary.

Sephiroth was taken aback by the simplicity of the room. The sheets were plain and white, not even a bit of lace to elaborate. The curtains were white with a pattern of pale green vines, and on the table was a small table holding a clock and a picture.

He didn't need to see the photograph to know what it was. His frown turned to a dark scowl, and his eyes turned flat and dangerous. Surprised by the ferocity of the emotion, he pulled back and leaned against a wall, taking a moment to compose himself. Without looking at anything more than the vaguest of details, he laid the photo face down, and then withdrew his hand like the picture had branded him.

He moved to the closet, looking for more bandage-worthy material. A black skirt caught his eye; it was long, meant to pool gently at the ankles, which meant that it would make a lot of bandages. He nodded in approval and added it to the towels. He snagged a few more shirts before he made his way to the back of the wardrobe. The last item, tucked away safely in the darkest corner, was very large and bulky, covered in plastic to preserve it. He raised an eyebrow. If this was worthy material, he wouldn't need the towels or her clothes. He removed the hanger and ripped the plastic from the dress, dropping it in shock when the garment was revealed.

It was a wedding dress.

He scoffed and turned away, shutting the door angrily behind him. He ran to Aralyn and grabbed her wrist. True to his prediction, a simple gold wedding ring adorned her finger, the small diamonds painted ruby with her blood.

He let out his breath slowly, making a harsh hissing sound. The band around his own finger felt hot and heavy. Looking for the last bit of evidence to prove himself wrong, he eased the ring off Aralyn's finger, looking on the inside of the band.

He wiped away the drops of blood to reveal the carving that he had feared he'd find.

_My_ _Angel_.

Something was tugging at his glove weakly but persistently. Aralyn, in perhaps her final reserves of energy, had gripped the fingers of his leather gloves and pulled until his pale hand was unveiled. He looked at her face, waiting to see her reaction.

"You still…have yours," she gasped, fingering his gold ring. "Do you…remember…or did you…forget it all?"

Sephiroth did not answer, but pushed her back to the ground firmly. Fluidly ripping the towels with his bare hands, he began to work on her wounds.

"You do…" She breathed, her eyes shining. "And you came…just like you promised…."

Sephiroth acted as if he had not been affected. He was, however, relieved when she fell back into unconsciousness. He didn't like the way she had looked at him, her eyes pleading with him endlessly.

"Nothing has changed," he said to her as he tied the makeshift bandage firmly around her bleeding side. "And you're a fool if you expected it to."

When she was bound to a point where at least she wouldn't bleed to death, he stood up and took the phone on the wall. There was no signal, and a cursory glance revealed a fray in the cord. It took him several minutes to figure out how to hold it so he could be allowed to dial.

He called for an ambulance, and dealt with the woman on the phone briskly. She became only sweeter as he answered more and more curtly. "I know you must be upset, sir, but I need you to remain calm. I need some more information from you."

Sephiroth nearly dropped the phone. Upset. _No,_ he insisted to himself. _Worlds from it._

"This has nothing to do with me. I am not upset. I gave you her name and address. That is all you need to know to send an ambulance."

"But sir, if you could stay on the line, I can tell you how to help her until we arrive-"

"I have no such intentions. It is nothing to me if she lives or dies."

The woman on the other end of the line had no response. "Sir? I couldn't understand you. Could you please not shout?"

Sephiroth slammed the phone back onto the receiver.

"_Incapable_," he hissed through clenched teeth. He looked back to Aralyn, who had fallen unconscious long ago. The medics would not get the job done, and a second presence was stirring in his mind. He had to hurry.

Though it left the most bitter taste in his mouth, there was one more number that he dialed, remembering it from a poorly made advertisement he had seen on a street lamp.

"Strife Delivery Service," a woman's voice answered. "You name it, we deliver it."

"314B Shire Gardens, Lockhart," Sephiroth said. "Bring Strife if you must."

That was all the information he gave. With one last glance at Aralyn, he opened the door and disappeared into the night.


	15. Reparations

Chapter Fifteen: Reparations

Somebody rapped a fist against Aralyn's skull and she winced, stifling a cry when he hit a bruise. "Anybody home?" The voice was that of a grown male, but was playful, like a little boy's dropped an octave.

"Leave her alone, Reno."

"Rude, you're no fun!" Her arm was lifted, inspected, and then dropped carelessly. She felt fingers prying her eyes open, and after the white light, she made out the image of a red haired man. "See? She's up!"

She was in a simply decorated room. She knew it was a hospital room, though great effort had been made to make the place feel less institutional. A table beside her held a beautiful arrangement of white and red roses, and the windows were draped in gauzy material embroidered with faded green vines that ran the height of the drapes. The walls, instead of being whitewashed, were a soft blue-gray. The bedding was soft, and the quilt was heavily stuffed. Her IV was even hidden behind the table.

A darker skinned, bald, and muscular man came to her rescue, jerking him back by the thin red ponytail that hung down his back. In Reno's attempts to get away, he flailed his arms back, striking Aralyn across one bandaged cheek in the process. She whimpered weakly at the sting.

"Ah! Sorry! I meant to hit Rude. I'm sorry!" Reno pulled away, looking away and bashfully ruffling his hair with one hand.

"You should go get the Boss." Rude reminded him.

Reno sighed and threw himself in the chair not far from Aralyn's bed. He swung his feet over the armrest and let his head loll back. "I don't feel like it. Rude, will you do me a favor?" When Rude didn't move, he made a dismissing motion with a flick of his hand in the other's direction. "Shoo, shoo. He said he wants to see her as soon as she's up."

Rude stared coolly at him through dark glasses for a while, but then left to perform Reno's errand.

"Smart guy," Reno smirked.

"Boss?" Aralyn asked. She cleared her throat and repeated herself. "What does Tseng want with me?"

"Nah. Different boss. Unless you're dying to see the guy-I could _probably_ make that happen. I might even enjoy it."

Aralyn shifted in her bed. "No, no thanks. But who, then…?"

Reno stood, stretched for many long seconds, and then pulled a beverage out of the small refrigerator in the corner. He looked at her and took a large swig of his drink, taking a long time to swallow. When he did, he still did not answer.

"What about Cloud?" she asked.

"Chocobo-head?" He pulled a second bottle from the refrigerator and tossed the first into the trash across the room. He flicked the top open with a quick rotation of his fingers and offered it to Aralyn, but she shook her only head. "He actually made it in record time with his whole crew. But he ain't exactly a doctor, you see. So he called."

Aralyn made an odd face, and Reno quickly justified himself. "Not me personally! And stop giving me that look; I wasn't your nurse." He downed a large swig of the pinkish liquid in one gulp and then continued. "Cloud called Ru— er, my boss – who owed him a favor. He arranged it all."

The door was pushed open and a voice came from the other side. "I owed it not only to him, but to you, Aralyn."

Rufus Shinra walked into the room, tall and confident, with Rude right behind him. Aralyn sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Her brow was furrowed and her hands were balled into fists.

"Told ya she wouldn't be happy to see you, boss," Reno said. "I'm outta here before it gets _really _awkward." With a wave of his hand, he left.

"I can understand why you would be reluctant to speak with me, Aralyn," Rufus said cautiously, not stepping aside as Reno tripped over him in the doorway as he exited. "But I think you will agree that there are things that need to be discussed between the two of us."

"How'd you know about the roses?" She asked blandly, reaching out one wired hand to stroke the velvet petals longingly.

"Something Sephiroth once said to me, a very long time ago."

"Sep—I mean…what did he…!?" But she closed her mouth quickly, biting her bottom lip. She took a deep breath, and then continued. "Could we speak…in private?"


	16. Acceptance of an Enemy

Chapter Sixteen: Acceptance of an Enemy

Rufus nodded, dismissing Rude by tilting his head slightly toward the door. When the door clicked behind the Turk, Aralyn waited for Rufus to speak. He didn't, and Aralyn's patience was the first to break.

"So talk," she whispered bitterly.

"Let's start with the basic formalities then. How have you been?"

Aralyn stared at him. "Fine. Just fine." She answered cautiously, wondering where he would go with it.

"We could see every one of your ribs through your skin. Care to elaborate?"

Aralyn started, wrapping her arms around her slim torso as if to hide herself. "I…times have been hard."

"Times have been hard, Aralyn?" He looked at her for a long time, waiting for her to continue, but when she didn't, he elaborated for her.

"There was nothing in your cabinet but half a loaf of stale bread and scarce remnants of peanut butter."

"I…"

"There are holes in your roof that are plugged with rags, some of them appearing to have come from beautiful evening gowns. What was in your closet was clearly purchased years ago, and the only thing of value in there was a carefully preserved wedding dress."

"It's none of your business!"

"You only live in the apartment you do because the payments were made in full seven years ago. Since then, you have been largely unemployed. Not because you are lazy, or unintelligent, or unethical. To the contrary, you are the ideal worker. Why, then, would any company seeking a profit refuse the help of such a woman? Tell me, Aralyn."

"For the exact same reason that Shinra refused to employ me!" she shot back.

"That is not true."

"Don't you _dare_ try to tell me that!" she cried. "I came here first thing, and I was violently evicted. No one treated me worse than your company."

Rufus was quiet for a long time. Aralyn did not apologize for her words, and refused to be the first to speak.

"We may not be guiltless," Rufus admitted. "But at the time, we thought it might offer you some kind of protection to keep you at a distance from this place."

"Even if I was to ignore the manner in which I was 'kept at a distance', it's still a fancy way of saying that Sephiroth's wife had—_has_—no place here." She shrugged the blankets up higher and drew her knees into her. "It's the same thing everyone else said too."

"You would make this easier on yourself if you left him. I know it may hurt, Aralyn, but he's not coming back. He has not been faithful to you, and you owe him nothing. Being married to him can only hurt you."

The thought was like a physical blow to Aralyn. "I…can't," she whispered. "Not…no…"

"Then can I at least persuade you to sell the wedding dress?"

"No!"

"It would put food on the table for at least a month."

"Which would only postpone my death."

Rufus hesitated, but nodded solemnly. "I am aware of your medical condition. I am…sorry. It is hard to see you consuming far more medications than food."

"It shouldn't be. You're the one that let this happen to me in the first place, why should you regret it now?"

"I am trying to make things right, Aralyn."

"I don't want it. I won't take it. I'll turn away anything you offer and if you put it in my house I'll give it away!"

"I may be forced to sedate you and put you on an IV until you regain your strength. I will do it. And if you still resist, I will wipe your memory and erase any thought you ever had of _him_."

Aralyn was silent, and she clenched her hands together to try to stop them from shaking. She knew that he would too, without a second thought.

"It's tempting, isn't it?" Rufus continued, thinking her silence was the contemplation of his offer. "All the pain and heartache he's caused you…gone."

"That will not be necessary."

There had been no knock or prelude; a dark gunman let himself in, sweeping the door closed behind him.

"Ah, Vincent Valentine," Rufus greeted with a curt nod of his head. "Come to check on Aralyn?"

"The others were worried. I got voted for intelligence duty this time." Vincent strode foreword, throwing his cloak behind him with one gauntleted hand. Though his face was passive and his expression unwavering, Aralyn got the strange feeling that he wasn't being entirely truthful.

"She's fine, as you can see. No permanent damage done, I should think."

"Hm." Vincent tilted his head back only a little, his eyes flaring dangerously. "Then, seeing that she has recovered, I will escort her to her home."

"She and I have business to settle, Valentine."

"I have settled the matter of her employment," Vincent stated simply.

It was quiet for quite a long time.

"You did what?" Aralyn asked uncertainly.

"The pay will not be near what one of your level of education would deserve," Vincent clarified. "But you will at least have enough to eat more than one meal a week."

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Aralyn argued.

Vincent slightly arched one eyebrow. "Wasn't it?"

Aralyn thought it best to remain silent.

"Is there anything else, Shinra?" Vincent asked Rufus.

Rufus looked from Aralyn to Vincent. "No," he said. "No, that is all. You may leave."

Aralyn sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and slowly raising herself to her feet. She wavered slightly, but soon regained balance. Vincent nodded his approval and beckoned for her to follow him. She did so, but stopped as she passed by Rufus. Etiquette told her that she owed him at least some sort of farewell, even though he frightened her.

"Thank you," she said quietly, bowing her head slightly in respect.

Rufus frowned but nodded, holding the door open for her stiffly. She walked through quickly, running to keep up with Vincent's long strides.

It was much easier for the both of them to breathe once they had exited the Shinra building.


	17. Dr Crescent's Secrets

Chapter Seventeen: Dr. Crescent's Secrets

_"Are you all right?"_

_ Aralyn reached up, trying to feel her surroundings as her eyes were covered by something that blocked all of her vision. Metal…cold, unfeeling metal…and the suffocating smell of antiseptic. _

_ "Sephiroth!" she called, panicking as she considered the possibility that this was another experiment. "Sephiroth, help!"_

_ "Hush," a feminine voice soothed her, warm fingers gripping her hand and squeezing encouragingly. "I'm here, see? I won't hurt you, I promise."_

_ "What are you going to do to me?" she was genuinely afraid now, her voice rising in pitch and her breathing becoming faster and shallower. _

_ "Nothing, honey. Oh no, stop shaking, it's all right! You're all done." _

_ "Lemme go!" She pleaded between the breaths that were coming through her lips in gasps._

_ "Aralyn." The voice was gentle and comforting, trying to lull her into serenity. "That's your name, isn't it? It's a beautiful name."_

_ She was beginning to feel light headed, even though she was in the dark and lying down. Colored dots flickered on and off in the blackness._

_ "Lucrecia, her heart rate-" The voice was different from the first woman's._

_ "Aralyn, you have to calm down," Lucrecia coaxed. _

_ "No! Let me go!"_

_ "What is this…?" the second asked._

_ "Oh, Hojo you monster…" Lucrecia breathed. "Get me a sedative," she muttered softly. "Quickly!" _

_ "I don't want to go back to sleep! Please, don't make me!"_

_ "Aralyn, I don't have a choice. You could hurt yourself." She sounded truly sorry too. "Thank you," she said to another. A cold, wet swab was rubbed just below her shoulder. "Just a little pinch, okay? It will be over fast."_

_ True to her word, Lucrecia was very swift. When the needle was withdrawn, Lucrecia's hands clasped hers. "There, you're finished."_

_ "Dr. Crescent, Hojo wouldn't approve…"_

_ Lucrecia ignored the nurse. A soft tissue was dabbed where tears had leaked from her eyes. _

_ "You're…Dr. Crescent?" Aralyn asked, her words slurred._

_ "Yes," the woman assured her._

_ "Sephiroth said…you were nice. That you'd help us."_

_ "Oh…Sephiroth," the woman sighed, and it sounded like she had begun to cry, though her voice was steady, if a little quieter. "How…how is he? What does he look like?"_

_ Something wet fell on Aralyn's cheek. Lucrecia was crying after all._

_ "No," Lucrecia stopped herself. "Tell me what it is you need."_

_ "Paints," she whispered._

_ "Paints?" Lucrecia asked. "Whatever for?"_

_ But it was too dark, and her mind was working too slowly to reply._

* * *

_"…Paranoia, maybe some type of post-traumatic shock, and that was the least of our problems. I had to sedate her it got so out of control."_

_ "Preposterous! Sephiroth handles the mako procedures every day, and he's fine."_

_ "Aralyn is not Sephiroth, and this is not mako."_

_ "A derivative of mako then! Theoretically, it shouldn't even make enough of a difference to matter. And Hojo said she's got as much potential with it as Sephiroth does!"_

_ "Hojo would say anything to push her into this. And as you just said yourself, this is all theoretical."_

_ "But the tests do indicate—"_

_ "You can look at the numbers and figure all you want, or you can open your eyes and see the effects for yourself!"_

_ "So you want to abort the experiment, Lucrecia? Even if we stop now, she's so far in it might not make a difference—it might even make it worse!"_

_ "Look at what it's doing to her! You were in the operating room with me, you saw-!" Lucrecia stopped, cutting off the other's reply before anything more could be said. "Aralyn? Are you awake?"_

_ Aralyn dared to open her heavy eyes, knowing that she couldn't feign sleep any longer. A woman with long, brown hair and kind eyes stood above her. The ID on the lanyard around her neck identified her as Dr. Crescent._

_ "Hello," Aralyn said._

_ Lucrecia smiled. "Good to see you." She turned to one of the assistants and motioned them away. Once they were gone, she looked at Aralyn for a long time. Her smile faded into a more melancholy expression. "Did you hear any of that?"_

_ "Is there something wrong with me?" Aralyn asked, scared._

_ Lucrecia sighed and shook her head. "Aralyn, Hojo has…miscalculated. I'm sure that he will refigure things. Don't worry. He may be evil, but he won't let anything happen to you."_

_ Aralyn frowned, not happy with the answer. "Can't you tell me what he's doing to me, at least?"_

_ "I'm so sorry, Aralyn. I can't."_

_ Aralyn looked around the room for papers that might indicate anything about her treatment. Sephiroth would know what to make of them, even if she didn't. But the scientists had done their job well – there was no trace of anything she could use._

_ "Aralyn, I need you to…do me a favor. It's about…Sephiroth."_

_ "What is it?" she asked._

_ "I don't…" Lucrecia turned away, her shoulders were shaking. "I don't know…what Hojo has told him about what…__**who**__ he is. But I can be certain…it's not the truth…"_

_ Aralyn searched her memory. She couldn't remember if Sephiroth had ever told her anything about his past. _

_ "Did you know his parents?" Aralyn prodded after several long seconds._

_ "I thought I did." It was no more than the barest whisper. "Now, I'm not so sure._

_ "His mother," she continued, "loved his father…no, no, she never loved him…but she married him all the same. The man was kind to her, and she thought he understood the things she wanted. In the end, I suppose she did it for her career, because she thought it was all she had left. He asked one thing of her…just one thing. She was a foolish woman to agree…but she did. Her son, Sephiroth, was born…tainted…because of her mistake."_

_ "Who was she? His mother I mean."Aralyn asked._

_ "Her name is of no importance. Someday…someday when he's old enough to understand, someone will tell him."_

_ "Won't she come back? Doesn't she love him?"_

_ Lucrecia raised her head, pausing for a long time. "His mother loves him more than anything, but she can't return. And that is what I need you to do…deliver his mother's final message to him."_

_ "Is she…dead?"_

_ Lucrecia ignored the question. "Tell him that his mother is…"_

_ "Dr. Crescent!" Aralyn blanched on instinct; the voice had been Hojo's._

_ "Right away, sir," Lucrecia replied as she frantically gathered papers in her arms. She ran to the door, but before she opened it, she finished the message. _

_ "Tell him to find Vincent Valentine."_


	18. Employment

Chapter Eighteen: Employment

"Are you all right on your own, Aralyn?"

Most of the walk had been spent in silence, but Vincent stopped now and again in consideration of her condition. Though she tried to hide it, the walk was very taxing on her. Vincent did not seem to mind a brief respite now and again. This, however, was the first time he'd spoken to her. She blushed as she realized how hard her breathing was.

"I'm fine," she said, gasping to catch her breath.

"You don't look fine."

"I'll be all right," she assured him. "Really."

He shook his head. "If you insist."

"Hey, Vincent," she interjected into the silence that had followed.

He didn't vocally acknowledge that he'd heard her, but she knew he was listening.

"Why did you really come?"

He began walking faster, outpacing her so coldly that she feared she might have offended him in some way. She worked hard to keep up with him so that she could pick up any sign on how he had taken it. He gave none.

"You're not going to answer me, are you?"

"No."

Another long, awkward silence. Vincent seemed unaffected by the haunting calls of the creatures of the night and the dead stillness when they paused their cries. Aralyn's spine prickled, and she desperately tried to get him to talk.

"Thank you. For finding me a job, I mean."

"Save your thanks for after your first day. As things turn out, this may be a curse." His tone clearly implied that the subject was closed, and she inwardly sighed. It was hard to get any answers from him.

It was dark now, the stars were bright and the moon absent from the sky. She could barely make out her apartment complex's old sign. Many letters had burned out, and while most still shone neon green, the sign was far from reading "Shire Gardens".

"That's where I live," she pointed out.

Vincent's frown deepened significantly. "This deep in the slums? By yourself?"

"It's…not that bad. I mean, I'm away from the worst of it, at least."

They walked onward in silence, Aralyn instinctively drawing closer to her guard as the lighting got poorer. He looked at her strangely.

"You don't like the dark." It was a statement.

"No."

"Hmm."

No more conversation was carried on until she reached the front door. She reached into her pocket, fished out two keys and used one to open the door.

"Can I get you something to drink? You did come all this way."

"No," he said. Then, in an effort to soften the edge of his tone he added, "Thank you."

They stood on her doorstep for a moment, until Aralyn mustered up the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind for some time now. "Vincent, how much do you know…about me?"

He knew what she was referring to. "Enough, but no details."

"What _exactly_ do you know?"

"That you are Sephiroth's wife."

"And that doesn't…bother you at all?"

"I see no reason why it should."

"How did you find out?"

"I put the pieces together. It was a guess, but Rufus confirmed it for me."

"How much do Cloud and the others know?"

"Nothing. They don't even suspect. Your secret is safe, for now." He turned, speaking to her without moving his head to look at her. "For your new job, be at Strife's as soon as you can tomorrow. Do you need an escort?"

"Oh no…_no_. Vincent, you _didn't_…!"

"I have already told you: Cloud and the others are unaware of your affiliation with Sephiroth. I will work to keep it that way."

"No, I can't take it…"

"You _will_." He whirred around to face her, cloak billowing, and used the full force of his crimson eyes to stare her down. "Or you will accept Rufus's offer."

Aralyn slumped against the doorframe. "I can't do it."

"Is it because Cloud is the one that killed Sephiroth?"

She paused. "No…my Sephiroth was dead long before…"

"Is there any other valid argument you wish to present, then?"

Aralyn was quiet.

Vincent nodded. "I'll be here tomorrow morning." He took a few steps, then slowed and stopped.

She didn't wait for him to leave. She closed the door slowly, turning on the single light in the bathroom to serve as her nightlight. She found her way to her bed, then slid under the covers, buried her head in her pillow, and wept.


	19. Final Gift

Chapter Nineteen: Final Gift

_She knew something was wrong when she woke up. She was in her room, tucked in the covers that provided a false sense of comfort. Shrugging them off, she slid off her bed. She went to the door that connected her and Sephiroth's rooms, knocking loudly and calling for him to answer. There was no reply._

_ She threw on a baggy shirt and a pair of pants, viciously attacking her hair with the brush and tying it up in a sloppy ponytail. Slipping on a pair of flat-footed shoes, she ran to the doors that led to the main hallway. She threw them open and ran so quickly that she tripped over a neat stack of metal cans._

_ She turned back and examined the cans as she picked herself up. There were about ten of them, all labeled in bright paper. To the side was a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with rough cord. _

_ The cans were paints. All of them were bright, vibrant colors. Even the subtler tones of lavender and aquamarine were such a contrast to the blaring white that it was astounding. Aralyn fingered them gingerly, beaming at this miracle._

_ The package held paintbrushes in all sizes. Some were large so as to facilitate the painting of entire walls, while others were small, so that finer details could be painted. Also included was a book that told how to paint textures and patterns. Aralyn stared at the pictures of the rooms with unique, lively walls for a long time. Stencils fell out of the book, all of them depicting small delights like flowers and vines that couldn't be found near Shinra._

_ "She really did it." Aralyn recognized Sephiroth's cool, composed voice immediately. _

_ "Isn't it wonderful?" Aralyn cried. "There must be something we can do to thank her!"_

_ "Aralyn." She turned, looking at Sephiroth for the first time. His face was solemn and grave. "Dr. Crescent is dead."_

_ Aralyn's eyes widened. Half of her instinct told her to laugh, but she knew that Sephiroth couldn't possibly be joking, not with that expression on his face._

_ "She killed herself," Sephiroth finished. "Last night."_

_ "Why?" Aralyn breathed._

_ But Sephiroth just shook his head. "I don't know…"_


	20. First Day on the Job

Chapter Twenty: First Day on the Job

When Vincent knocked on the door the following morning, Aralyn opened immediately. Her eyes were red, and he got the feeling that she hadn't slept all night. She was dressed in a worn, dark red turtleneck with sleeves that covered not only her arms, but half of her hands as well. Her pants were long, with holes in the knees that had been patched with squares of fabric, and her boots went up to her knees, the heels half falling off. He noted how she had taken particular care to hide her body so thoroughly, and wondered if her scars had reappeared.

Vincent was making a mental checklist for Aralyn: first, food; second, proper clothing.

She walked out without a word, locking the door behind her and then pocketing the key. Vincent stepped ahead, leading the way to Seventh Heaven.

He opened the door for her, but had to push her in all the same. She remained in the doorway, head lowered and hands clenched. Vincent went up to the front counter and rang a small silver bell that was mounted there. "Your new employee is here," he called, not raising his voice from his normal dark and silent tone.

Tifa walked in, wiping her hands on a small hand towel. "Good morning, Aralyn! Nice to have you here."

Aralyn murmured a greeting that wasn't meant to be unkind, but sounded distant and forlorn anyway.

"Look out below!"

Vincent quickly sidestepped away from the stairs to make way for Yuffie, who was sliding down the handrail. He didn't even flinch when the counter was shaken as she ungracefully hit the floor.

"Ow!" she protested. "Vinnie, you couldn't catch me?" She rubbed her head as she glared at the gunman.

Vincent ascended the stairs without sparing her so much as a passing glance.

"Big jerk!" Yuffie shot back, sticking out her tongue at him. Straightening her ruffled hair, she finally turned her gaze to Aralyn. "Oh! Hello! Did Vincent bring you here? I'm really sorry."

"Come on in, Aralyn!" Tifa beckoned, smiling but trying to hide it. "Don't let those two bug you, they're always at it."

Aralyn approached, coming up to the counter. "What do you need me to do?" she asked timidly.

"Well, it's slow now. Why don't you have a seat? Can I get you something to eat? It's on the house!"

"I couldn't…" But before she could finish her weak protest, her stomach gave a very loud growl. She sighed, defeated. "I'd feel better if you took the cost out of my pay, though."

"Ah, you'll live somehow." Tifa winked and disappeared into the kitchen.

Aralyn sat in a seat, fidgeting, with shifting eyes. Yuffie helped herself to two chairs, slouching in one and propping her feet on the other.

"So, Vinnie didn't shoot you," she started. "He must like you."

Aralyn didn't know how to reply to that. "He has a good heart," she said, sincerely and yet timidly.

Yuffie snorted. "_Somewhere_ in there. You'd never guess by looking at him."

Tifa reemerged carrying a steaming plate of waffles, doused with berries, and a glass of orange juice. Aralyn murmured a shy thanks before partaking. A similar plate was laid before Yuffie, but it was gone before Aralyn got to get a good look at what she had been served.

"You can work in the kitchen with me if you'd like, Aralyn," Tifa offered. "I'd enjoy the company. None of the men folk will volunteer."

Aralyn nodded vigorously. "I'd love to! I used to cook a lot, maybe I can be of some use?"

Tifa nodded. "Come on back whenever you're ready."

Before long, Aralyn was dressed in a smart white apron with her hair tied back, away from her busy hands. Tifa had to slow her down on some occasions, as she worked at breakneck pace, breathing and sweating heavily from exertion.

"It's not a busy day, Aralyn, take it easy! We'll have too much!"

"Won't it save?" Nonetheless, her hands began to slow.

"Not very well," Tifa said. "It's cooking, not hauling cargo. Slow down, enjoy yourself."

"Oh…okay." She looked at the abundance of dough she had made. "I've wasted all that…"

"Did I hear that there's lots of extra food?" Yuffie yelled from the front of the bar. She quickly ran, leaping over the counter to examine the fresh batch of pastries Aralyn had made. She breathed in deeply, savoring the sweet aroma. "We've got all of Avalanche to finish up this stuff and…hey Vin-vin! Come and try some of this!"

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Vincent," Aralyn quickly added, trying to save him from Yuffie as much as possible. "But you're welcome to them!"

Vincent tilted his head back slightly as he descended the stairs, and Aralyn was pleased when he strode forward and took one of the smaller pastries. He ate it slowly, but from the expression on his normally stoic face she knew that he was pleasantly surprised.

Yuffie was already on her fifth. "You weally 'aught ta make 'hese more often," she said through a mouth full of food. Vincent sent her a disapproving look, but continued nibbling slowly on his treat.

"These were my husband's favorite," she said ponderously as she began kneading another fraction of the mountain of dough. "Because they were so basic, he could take them when he traveled." She turned her full attention to the dough, avoiding the inquisitive eyes. Vincent raised an eyebrow, examining the food with a new perspective.

"You're married?" Yuffie yelped.

"Well…kind of. He…" her face fell from thoughtful to sorrowful. "Abandoned me."

"The jerk!" Yuffie spat, waving her pastry, sending flaky crumbs flying. "He gave up this?" Under Vincent's glare, she heavily edited her statement. "I mean, I'm sure he had you in mind…he's probably watching you right now! Yeah! His burning passion for you is eating away at him and soon he'll come running back to sweep you off your feet and…"

"Yuffie," Vincent said darkly, his tone of voice threatening dire consequences.

"I'm shutting up," Yuffie squeaked, slinking away from the table.

Vincent rested his gauntleted hand on Aralyn's shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked, quietly, so that Tifa wouldn't hear.

"Yeah," she said a little too quickly, throwing too much strength into her kneading. "Yes, I'm fine."

The small bell on the front door rang, signaling the arrival of a customer. Vincent turned and left as Tifa went forward to be the waitress.

He had known that she would have to suffer when he made her take this job, but he had convinced himself that it was worth it to see her properly fed again. With the day's incident weighing on his mind, and seeing how the light in her eyes was all but extinguished for the rest of the day, he suddenly wasn't so sure.


	21. Mistaken for Another

Chapter Twenty-One: Mistaken for Another

Aralyn was evicted from Seventh Heaven well after dark when Yuffie shoved her out the door. "You've done plenty," she said. "Now get home!"

Hugging her threadbare coat tighter to her to ward off the cold, she wandered the empty streets of Midgar and Edge alone. The path was icy from the snow that had been packed by so many footsteps, and more than once she found herself on her back looking up at the starry sky.

"Gloria?" A man's voice rang through the streets, eerily loud against the stark silence of the city. Aralyn paid no mind and continued.

"Gloria? Gloria!"

Aralyn decided to turn and found an unfamiliar man running toward her, arms outstretched like he recognized her. Following instinct born from living on the outskirts of the violent slums, she ran.

The icy patches slowed her, however, and she slid on one that had evaded her sight and fell painfully to her knees. The man was fast and strong; there had been no hope for escape in the first place.

The man grabbed her arms and turned her so that she faced him, looking at her for a moment. She examined him as well. He had black hair that fell past his ears, with rebellious pieces framing his face. His eyes were a startlingly light icy blue, and his features were sharp and striking. He held himself nobly, a princely aura of confidence and pride surrounding him.

His lips broke out into a large smile. He gripped her under her shoulders and lifted her in the air, twirling her around once before placing her back on her feet. She was not released; instead, she was surrounded by his arms and crushed into his chest.

"Gloria!" the man cried, slightly breathless from the chase. "Gloria, you're here!"

"I'm not…" she choked out as she struggled to get away.

But he didn't seem to hear her. Instead, he cut off her futile protests by pulling her chin up. Just after their eyes had locked, he abruptly forced her into a fierce and passionate kiss.

Aralyn's heart stopped. When she could catch her breath again, which took several moments, she fought with all her strength, tearing her lips from his and screaming.

The man recoiled as if he had been struck. "Gloria! What…what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry," she gasped, clutching her heart, which felt as if it would burst from her chest. "You must have mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Gloria."

"No, Gloria," his thumb traced her jaw line and she slapped it away. "You're just confused, love, that's all!"

"My name's _not_ Gloria!"

But he still pulled her closer.

"_Don't you dare!"_ Aralyn screamed.

"Gloria…why do you resist me?"

"My name is Aralyn!" she cried. "I'm married to someone else!"

That must have struck a nerve as he leapt back, finally releasing her. He looked at her for the longest time. "You're…married?" The last word was so quiet that the breeze stole it away, leaving Aralyn to read his lips.

Aralyn held up her hand, the golden band glimmering in the faint lamplight. The man's breath caught, shock and horror written plainly on his face.

"Gl—ah," he sighed. "Miss…Misses Aralyn." His voice shook as he said the name, like it was from a foreign language. "Oh, Gloria…!"

Aralyn turned and ran.

She knew that he would follow, but her declaration had left him momentarily stunned. She needed that time. Unfortunately, it wasn't long. He followed every turn she made through the winding streets, calling both "Gloria" and "Aralyn" frantically.

But when he took the final turn, he found himself staring straight into the shaft of a three-barreled gun.


	22. Questing for Answers

Chapter Twenty-Two: Questing for Answers

_"She said to find someone named Vincent Valentine," Aralyn said, finishing the story of her encounter with Dr. Crescent. "She seemed to think he would help." _

_ "I've heard that name," Sephiroth mused. "Can't say where, though."_

_ "Can we get into the records room or something?" Aralyn asked._

_ Sephiroth frowned. "Not easily. That place has some of the tightest security in all of Shinra. If we use the vents, I can get us in there, but who's to say what's inside? Maybe if we swiped an ID from one of the nurses or something…"_

_ "Will a nurse's ID work?" Aralyn inquired. "I think we'll need someone with higher authority, like a professor or something."_

_ "I think you're right. Besides, it's bound to have thumbprint identification or an eye scanner or…something. I can't really get past something like that anyway."_

_ "Maybe if we just ask someone about Vincent?" Aralyn suggested. "If he worked here, someone has to know something!"_

_ Sephiroth paused, then declared, "I'm going in through the vents. I'll play it by ear."_

_ Aralyn stared at him, wondering why he would take such a daring risk. _

_ "You don't have to come, Aralyn. I'll understand." He read the expression on her face and continued. "I just feel like this is something I need to do."_

_ "Are you always this reckless? Give it a few hours and we can think of something!"_

_ "No. I just…I want to know what Lucrecia meant. We're the only children here, but I've read books. I _know_ I'm not normal. I feel like she had the answers, and Vincent must too!"_

_ Aralyn sighed and grabbed Sephiroth's hands. "I'll let you go, if you take me with you. If it means this much to you…I'll do it."_

_ Sephiroth smiled and swept her up into a tight hug. "Thank you, Aralyn. You're a real friend."_

* * *

_Two pairs of eyes peered from behind the bars of the grate: one a deep, ocean blue and the other a bright emerald. A pair of feet passed through their vision, causing Aralyn to stifle a surprised cry. The steps stopped, but when silence continued, the professor moved on none the wiser to the children's presence. _

_ "Ready?" Sephiroth asked. _

_ "Just do it."_

_ Sephiroth nodded and deftly tampered with the screws that held the grate to the wall. He wormed his way out first, then offered his hand to Aralyn and eased her through the small opening. They leaned against the wall for a moment, breathing deeply and brushing the dust from the vents off their clothes. To Aralyn's amusement, Sephiroth's long, silver hair was flecked with the fuzzy gray specks too. She chuckled quietly and helped him get them off._

_ "He'll be in the 'V' section, whether it's listed by first or last names," Aralyn reminded him. _

_ "Right, let's go."_

_ They had entered in the "R" section, so they didn't have far to go. Sephiroth went first, his eyes constantly darting back and forth, scanning for potential traps. They ducked into the rows, keeping out of the main aisles as much as possible. With a sigh of relief, they located a drawer labeled "Vac-Ven"._

_ "That's the one," Sephiroth muttered._

_ The drawer was well above either of their reaches, so Sephiroth motioned for Aralyn to get on his shoulders. She silently complied, though her clumsiness caused Sephiroth a lot of discomfort. He remained silent and bore it, though he grimaced as her heels dug into his shoulders and as she grappled against the drawers for a hold, causing quite a clamor. She finally managed to regain her balance with his hands tightly gripping her ankles. _

_ Aralyn's fingers pulled on the drawer and it slid out with a loud creaking sound that echoed throughout the room. Sephiroth and Aralyn waited anxiously for something to happen, but no one came._

_ Breathing out the breath she had been holding, Aralyn flipped through the manila folders, letting out a jubilant whisper when she saw a folder labeled "Valentine, Vincent". _

"_Got it!" she whispered._

_ "Drop it, you'll need your hands to get down."_

_ Aralyn obeyed, letting go of the folder and watching as various colored papers spread across the floor. After another minute of intricate maneuverings to get her feet on the ground, the pair began to gather them. When it was all together, Sephiroth hugged the file to his body. "Let's get out of here."_

_ But footsteps that weren't their own were echoing through the main aisle. To their surprise, Professor Hojo strode to the aisle across from them, angrily murmuring words they couldn't hear as he searched through the files. Sephiroth whispered something that sounded like a curse and handed the papers to Aralyn, who took them without a sound. _

_ The luck that had protected them for this long ran out as the professor turned his head. Eyes narrowing, he hissed, "Sephiroth?"_

_ Sephiroth grabbed Aralyn's hand and ran, turning as much as possible to try to shake him from their trail. However, it was a matter of seconds before a red light blinded them and a shrieking alarm nearly deafened them. Metal bars thicker than their arms suddenly blocked the door they had been headed for. _

_ "No. No…no!"_


	23. The Guardian

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Guardian

When the man dared to look past the gun, he saw Aralyn in the grip of a tall, dark haired and crimson-eyed man. The hand that protectively shielded her was gauntleted, the long, golden claws resting harmlessly on her shoulder. The man's tattered cape had been draped over her, hiding most of her body from his view.

"What are you doing?" The gunman's voice was dark and level, but he could feel the fury nonetheless.

"I j-just wanted to talk to…"

"Talk?" the man asked. "Aralyn's reactions seem to suggest otherwise." He cocked his gun and placed it to the center of the stranger's forehead. "Care to revise your answer?"

"Gloria has to come with me!" he ventured, slightly more boldly.

"Your time would be better spent harassing this Gloria of which you speak," the dark man countered.

"_That's_ Gloria!" Verian insisted, pointing a finger at the shaking girl. "Gloria, it's me, Verian! Don't you remember?"

Crimson eyes narrowed as he pulled Aralyn in closer, sensing the man's rage. "You are gravely mistaken."

"No! She is _my_ Gloria!"

"I don't know or care what that means," Vincent retorted. "But I _strongly_ suggest that you leave."

"Gloria, please listen to me…!"

"How _dare_ you speak to her?" Vincent roared, striking Verian viciously with the barrel of his gun. As he fell back, Vincent readjusted his aim. "This is your last chance. Choose quickly, or I will choose for you!"

The man sent one last imploring look at Aralyn, who was turned away. He stepped back cautiously, then pivoted and ran, disappearing from view, still holding his bleeding cheek.


	24. Hopes Lost

Chapter Twenty-Four: Hopes Lost

_"What are you doing here, Sephiroth?" Hojo asked, glaring down at the small boy._

_ Sephiroth returned his gaze, his hands clenched with rage and hatred. He did not say a single word. _

_ "And you brought Miss Aralyn along. How very…charming." Aralyn shrank behind Sephiroth, seeking protection. She clenched the papers closer to her heart, hoping that Hojo had not seen them. _

_ "Let us go," Sephiroth demanded, his voice small but his strong expression making up for it._

_ "You have trespassed on private Shinra property, Sephiroth. I don't know if you've been told this before, but you could be arrested for such a feat."_

_ "You wouldn't do that," Sephiroth retorted._

_ "No, but I can take measures to dissuade you from ever trying it again."_

_ Sephiroth blanched, though his expression did not relax, nor did his form show any fear. "G-Go ahead," the boy challenged. _

_ Hojo frowned deeply; Sephiroth clearly had not reacted like he thought he would. He turned his gaze to Aralyn. "And how about you? Do you have anything to say to me?"_

_ "No!" she screamed, though her voice broke, revealing how afraid she truly was. Hojo smirked, his expression turning malicious. _

_ "No matter. I will find out the hard way then. Sephiroth, come with me."_

_ The boy's eyes widened, but soon he relaxed. "Keep the file safe," he whispered to Aralyn. _

_ Aralyn started to panic. "What…?"_

_ "Hurry up, before I decide to take your little friend as well," Hojo taunted. Sephiroth walked obediently forward, looking surprisingly frail._

_ "No!" Aralyn screamed, suddenly grasping what was going to happen. "You can't hurt him!"_

_ "Do you have something to tell me, Aralyn?" Hojo repeated the question, grabbing Sephiroth's hand to make quite clear what would happen if she refused._

_ "Please, Aralyn…don't! I can take it!"_

_ But Aralyn ignored Sephiroth's pleas and threw the folder at Hojo's feet. Papers spilled out, and both children got a quick glance at a photo of a man with dark hair and blood red eyes. "There!" she cried. _

_ "At least one of you will submit to reason." Satisfied, Hojo bent down and flipped through the papers. "Ah," he sighed. "So this is what you were looking for. I'm disappointed, Sephiroth. You could have at least gone for something worthwhile."_

_ Sephiroth's hands were clenched even harder, his nails causing rivulets of red running down his wrists while his knuckles, in stark contrast, were white. _

_ "If the fate of Mr. Valentine is of interest to either of you, content yourselves with knowing that he is dead," Hojo continued. "It was Dr. Crescent that told you to seek him out, no? Foolish woman…should have known she wouldn't have the spine to sacrifice what was necessary."_

_ Sephiroth listened in defeated silence. Aralyn looked away, trying to hide the hot tears that fell of their own accord. She desperately fought them with the edge of her sleeve, but they did not relent._

_ "You may return to your rooms," Hojo said, unbarring the doors. "I trust that no such mischief will happen again."_

_ Sephiroth roughly grabbed Aralyn's wrist, dragging her along, ignoring her inability to keep up with him. He didn't look at her the whole way, and released her like she had been poisonous when they reached her room._

_ "Sephiroth, I'm sorry! I couldn't let him…"_

_ "Just leave me alone, Aralyn."_

_ "Sephiroth, please! I just-"_

_ "I don't want to talk to you anymore!"_

_ Aralyn's tears fell faster, and she sobbed so hard that her words were only just decipherable. Sephiroth never yelled – _especially_ at her._

"_Sephiroth I—!"_

_It happened before either of them knew it. In desperation, Aralyn made the mistake of grabbing Sephiroth's arm, trying to get him to listen._

_It was the final straw._

_She saw his eyes flash, and then her world spun. She didn't hear the clap that echoed through the empty halls as he struck her face with all the force of his anger – she didn't even hear her own scream of fright._

_She did not try to move from where she had been thrown to the ground. She could only cup her bleeding cheek in shaking hands and look up to where Sephiroth stood above her, screaming._

"_I don't want to see you ever again, Aralyn! You hear me! __**Never!**__I hate you! __**I hate you!**__" _

_He was crying too, but these were tears of rage. Because of her weakness, Sephiroth might never again find out the truth that Lucrecia had left for him._

_He would never know anything about his parents._

_Aralyn didn't try to apologize anymore. She was scared of Sephiroth. She was hurt. The only thing she could think to do was run._

_She scampered to her feet and ran into her room, slamming the door behind her and then collapsing on her bed, wrestling with her heavy shame. Her cheek stung fiercely, but the hurt was small compared to what was in her heart._

_ Aralyn curled into herself and sobbed, wishing she could disappear. _

_ The room next to her was oddly silent. So far as she could tell, Sephiroth did not speak or move the entire night._

_ He never came to take back anything of what he had said or done, and the longer he stayed away, the less Aralyn blamed him, and the more anguished she felt._

_ "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" she sobbed right up until sleep finally claimed her several long hours later._


	25. Persistence

Chapter Twenty-Five: Persistence

"I will be walking you home from now on."

Aralyn grimaced. "You don't have to, Vincent."

"I don't wish to find out what will happen if I don't."

"I don't suppose I can convince you I don't need it?" Aralyn sighed at Vincent's silence. "Thanks, then. That's very…considerate."

"Hn."

Aralyn's cheeks were still flushed. She thanked fate that Vincent had been there, but she hated being such a nuisance.

"Why did you come?" Aralyn asked.

Vincent glanced briefly at her before returning his gaze to the path before them. "You have a tendency to get into trouble."

"Oh. You noticed?"

"It would be hard not to." He was silent for a moment, but then continued. "I'm sorry about Yuffie. She didn't mean any harm."

"I know."

"Tomorrow she will watch her tongue," he promised. She saw the glint in Vincent's eye and knew that Yuffie wouldn't dare do that again. Not with him around.

"Ah…okay."

They walked to Aralyn's doorstep, and Vincent turned back. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good evening to you too," Aralyn said, weary in body and mind.

He paused, taken aback by her courtesy, weighing her words, her connotations. "I am…not used to formal farewells. Forgive me."

Aralyn smiled tiredly, chuckling despite herself. Vincent's expression was so clueless that it was comical. "You know I'm just playing around."

"…I see…" He relaxed into his normal, stoic stance.

"How do you survive Yuffie?" she sighed, entering her home. "Good bye, until tomorrow."

Vincent walked away and Aralyn wondered if she had been a little hard on him. Shaking her head, she swiftly threw herself on her bed, falling asleep after a few moments of reminiscence of a crippled angel…

* * *

"Aralyn?"

The voice was quiet and timid. Aralyn straightened, standing from her bent position as she wiped the tables with a damp cloth. It was dark outside, and the door was propped half open. The face of a figure peered in, though she couldn't make out and features from the way the light shaded his face.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked, walking to greet him at the door. "We're closed now but I'm sure Tifa—"

Aralyn stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the all too familiar figure before her.

It was Verian.

She backed up and opened her mouth to call for someone, but he rushed forward, explaining quickly. "Please, just let me speak with you! Five minutes, I swear!"

"Get out," she cried, dodging him when he reached for her. "I'll give you one second before…"

But Verian showed no signs of retreating. "Aralyn, listen to me. You have to come with me. You have no idea what you left behind! I don't know why your mother sent you away from me, but whatever it is, please…"

"What are you talking about?" Aralyn asked. "No. I don't even want to know. Leave."

"Don't do this Glo—Aralyn! Let me make it right! It's been so long…please just give me a chance…!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Aralyn cried, waving her arms in frustration. "I am not Gloria, for the last time, and you have the wrong person."

"No, Aralyn. You are the one I've been searching for these past twelve years…there can be no mistaking it."

"How is that? Isn't it a big enough world for me to look like another girl?"

"You _look_ nothing like the infant I had the pleasure of knowing…such is to be expected."

Aralyn opened her mouth to retort but stopped, dropping the rag. He knew something of her infancy, her parents…? Verian saw that he had her attention and rapidly continued.

"You don't remember, do you? That's why you're so cold toward me…"

"I don't tend to take kindly to men who appear out of nowhere and treat me so fondly!"

"Aralyn just hear me out—"

He reached toward her, seizing her arm and pulling her closer to him. She reacted instinctively, viciously backhanding him with her free hand and struggling with all her strength. Though he did have a red, hand-shaped mark on his cheek, he did not let go. In the middle of the fray, his hand slipped toward her body and her shirt sleeve slid up, revealing her pale forearm. Thin lines of healed scars networked across her arms like spider webs. She hurriedly covered them up again, but not fast enough to hide them from Verian.

"That…that was your _husband_, wasn't it?" He snarled the word, his clenched fists shaking slightly. "He beats you, doesn't he?"

"N-no! He never laid a hand on me! Not…n-not until…."

"Gloria," he hissed, his anger clearly indicated that his anger was pointed elsewhere, but it frightened her nonetheless. "Tell me his name. I swear I will set things right."

"You're mad to think…"

"If you won't tell me, then I will find him another way." He turned to her and sighed deeply, reaching out and fingering her wedding ring. "You will understand. After he releases you, you will see…you will know what was to have been."

Verian turned and walked briskly out of Seventh Heaven. Aralyn sprinted after him, trying to explain and say something that would dissuade him, but he was too quick. He turned a sharp corner and when Aralyn followed, he was gone.


	26. Anger

Chapter Twenty-Six: Anger

_It didn't take much for Gast to see that something was very wrong with Sephiroth. The boy's face was flushed and set in a scowl, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. The nurse that had attended to him said that he was exceptionally on-edge and snappy._

_ "Good morning, Sephiroth," Gast said. "How are you today?"_

_ Sephiroth muttered something, but Gast couldn't hear it. The boy was kicking his legs into the air as they dangled from the edge of the examination table. _

_Gast shook his head. If Sephiroth would not talk, then he would not talk. _

_He picked up the clipboard and observed the notes the nurse had recorded. He frowned. "Abnormal behavior" was bound to draw Hojo's attention. He turned back a page to find that yesterday's notes had been similar. This did not sit well with him – whether the boy knew it or not, his sulking was only going to get him more time under Hojo's scrutiny._

_ "Sephiroth, has something happened?"_

_ The boy started to bang his heels against the metal table. Gast took off his glasses, setting them on the table, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Then how would you like your mako today, Sephiroth?"_

_"When are you going to __**let me go**__?" Sephiroth screamed. "I don't want mako, I don't want any more tests, and I __**don't want Aralyn**__! When will you just __**leave me alone**__?"_

_Gast listened calmly, not reacting even though he heard Sephiroth throw something. He waited silently until Sephiroth stilled._

_ "You've had a fight with Aralyn," Gast said softly, drawing his conclusion from how the girl's name had been thrown in the list. "And you're upset." _

_ "Just give me my mako and get it over with," Sephiroth seethed. "I don't want to talk to you."_

_"I see. As you wish, then."_

_ Normally Sephiroth received his mako by injection, but today Gast prepared an IV. He wanted Sephiroth where he was until he could sort this out with him._

_ Sephiroth noticed the change in routine, and his face fell from anger to betrayal, but he did not protest. Gast felt bad prolonging the treatment – he knew how uncomfortable it was for Sephiroth – but it was becoming clear to him that he was incapable of handling this situation on his own, and the only way to get the stubborn boy to listen was to physically make him. Sephiroth waited until the IV was in and then curled up on his side on the table, his back toward Gast. _

_ The Professor looked at his watch. "I am going to leave for five minutes, during which time I want you to think about your misbehavior. When I come back, I expect you to be clear headed. You will apologize, and then you will clean up the mess. Am I understood?"_

_ Sephiroth scoffed. "I didn't do anything wrong," he murmured. Gast got the feeling that he wasn't only talking about the broken beaker. _

_ "Am I understood, Sephiroth?"_

_ Sephiroth curled tighter into himself. Gast did not press him further._

_ Gast waited just outside the door of the examination room, listening, in case Sephiroth's rage acted up again. At first, there were heavy thumps; it sounded like Sephiroth was hitting the wall. But as time went on the hits became softer and less frequent, and from then on it was oddly quiet. The ticking of the second hand of the clock was loud and clear._

_ When Gast reentered, Sephiroth was sitting up, his hands fidgeting in his lap, his head down, silver hair obscuring his eyes and much of his expression._

_"Sorry," he muttered. "I won't do it again."_

_ Gast waited for a moment for more, but nothing came._

_ "Is there anything else you need to apologize for, Sephiroth?"_

_ Sephiroth bowed his head deeper in shame. "I hit Aralyn." His voice was so low that Gast had to think over the utterance for several seconds before he could understand it._

_ "You hit Aralyn," Gast repeated._

_ "And I said…mean things to her. I said I hated her."_

_ "Why did you do that?"_

_ "I was angry."_

_ "About what?"_

_ "Because of her, I'll never know anything about my parents!"_

_ Gast was stunned by how quickly the boy's rage had resurfaced, and even more surprised at how quickly the boy was able to choke it down. Sephiroth kicked his feet, looking intently at his toes._

_ Gast set down the clipboard. Walking over to Sephiroth, he took the slender arm and slid the needle of the IV out, even though less than one quarter of the day's dosage of mako had dripped into the boy's veins. _

_ "Why do you say that, Sephiroth?" Gast asked._

_ "No one will tell me anything. Not even you."_

_ Seconds ticked by, marked by the clock. "Sephiroth," Gast started slowly. "I'll make you a deal. First, you tell me everything that happened."_

_ Seething, venom eyes peered through the veil of his silver bangs. "In exchange for what?"_

_ "You'll just have to trust me."_

_ Sephiroth folded his arms and sulked for a moment, but then began to talk. He quietly told Gast everything that had happened; how Lucrecia had left Aralyn with a clue before she died, how they had gone to search the records, and how Aralyn had literally thrown the precious, hard-earned file at Hojo's feet._

_ Gast listened in silence, letting the boy speak his mind as he would, even when his voice rose and he slammed his fists into the table as he told him of what Aralyn had done._

_ "And so you hit her."_

_ The fire went out of the boy as soon as Gast said those words. "Yes," he admitted._

_ "Do you feel guilty about the way you treated her?"_

_ The boy blinked, thinking it over carefully._

_ "I'm glad," Gast said. "It means you don't need me to tell you that the way you reacted was inappropriate."_

_ Sephiroth hung his head._

_ "I know that it must have hurt, Sephiroth. You know how you feel. But look at it from her point of view. What do you think she saw?"_

_Sephiroth thought for a moment. "Hojo scares her…makes her cry, even. So she was just trying to…protect me." The final words were whispered. Gast let the silence ring, letting the boy take in what he had just said._

_ "But I __**told**__ her!" he started again, not angry this time, but desperate. "I told her I didn't care. I would have let Hojo do __**anything**__ to me for that file!"_

_ "I think she knew that, Sephiroth. How has she been these past few days?"_

_ Sephiroth blinked. "I don't know. I didn't want to see her."_

_"You haven't seen her. So she's been in her room. Alone. Is it too much of a stretch to say that she feels as badly about what she did as you do?"_

_ Sephiroth thought long and hard about this, and the longer he did, the less angry and more melancholy his expression became._

_ "Does that make you feel any better, knowing the way she feels?"_

_ "No," Sephiroth said. "It makes me feel worse." He started kicking his legs again, slowly this time._

_ "You owe her an apology," Gast said._

_ Sephiroth nodded his hanging head._

_ Gast sighed deeply and sat down on the table beside the boy._

_ "Sephiroth," he said. "It's time for my end of the deal."_

_ The boy looked up at him._

_ "Your mother's name is…Jenova."_


	27. Seeking Penance

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Seeking Penance

_Sephiroth blinked once, twice, three times. His eyes went wide as he took it in. "My mother's name is…Jenova."_

_ The boy had been yearning for this knowledge for all his life—a name, a face, __**anything**__—and his eyes filled with a light entirely different from the glow of the mako._

_ Seeing Sephiroth so happy brought no solace to Gast. A lie, after all, was a lie, even if it was only meant to soothe the boy's troubled spirit._

_ "What…what was she like?" Sephiroth spoke breathlessly, and he was suddenly on his knees, bouncing with energy. "What did she look like? Where is she?"_

_ "Sephiroth," Gast said slowly, putting a hand on his shoulder to still the boy. "She is dead."_

_ Gast watched as a great sadness welled up in the boy. He knew that Sephiroth had dreamed of a day that he would be reunited with his mother—he sometimes even cried for her in the worst of his pain. "Oh," was all he said. Then, later, "How…?"_

_ "When she was pregnant with you, she became very sick. It was all she could do to bring you into this world. She passed on soon after." Gast sighed, then chuckled sadly, ruffling the boy's silver hair with one hand. "Your stubborn bangs," he fingered the silver peaks, "are most certainly from her." _

_ "Really?"_

_ "Does that make you happy to know it?"_

_ "Yes," he said. "What about…my dad?"_

_ Gast was taken aback. He had fully expected Sephiroth to be satisfied with what little he said about his mother. He had not planned this far._

_ "He was not a good man, Sephiroth. I should hope you will learn to be more like your mother than like him."_

_ "Why?"_

_ Gast thought for a moment. He had told enough lies, he decided. He would give the boy the truth about his father._

_ "He hurt your mother badly, Sephiroth. He did terrible things to her; things that no man should ever think of doing to his wife. He used her to further his own career and when she was no longer of any help to him, he abandoned her."_

_"Why would he do something as terrible as that?" _

_ Gast wasn't sure how to answer the broken-hearted boy's question. "I don't know, Sephiroth."_

_ "Why didn't my mother leave him, if he hurt her so badly?"_

_ "I don't know that either, Sephiroth. People do funny things sometimes, things that don't make any sense."_

_ Sephiroth slid his legs off the side of the table again. "I wish mother was here. I'd make her feel better. I'd make her happy. I'd do __**anything**__ to make her happy!"_

_ "I know you would, Sephiroth."_

_ Sephiroth drew his knees to his chest and was still for a moment. "So she won't ever come back?"_

_ Gast didn't have the heart to lie about it, even if he had lied already. It would be beyond cruel to let him keep that hope. "I'm afraid not, Sephiroth."_

_ "You can't…tell me anything else?"_

_ "Maybe when you're old enough to understand." Gast put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "If Hojo asks, you got all of your mako today. All right?"_

_ He nodded, still distracted._

_ "Do you want some time on your own to think this through?" Gast offered._

_ "Yeah," Sephiroth said. "I'd like that."_

_ "All right. I'll leave you in here. Joyce will come in to finish up your examination in a little bit, all right?"_

_ Gast shut the door on a very different Sephiroth than the one he had seen upon his entrance. The boy had moved to lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about all he had heard – the truth he had sought all of his short life._

_ Gast only regretted that his beloved truth was a lie._

* * *

_"You seem much better today, Sephiroth. Was there some reason you acted so strangely yesterday?"_

_ Sephiroth had handled Joyce's questions with as few words as possible. To this last one, he only shrugged. Joyce shook her head and scribbled something on the clipboard. "Let me get your weight and height, Sephiroth."_

_ The boy went to the scales and began to adjust the weights before Joyce even got there. "Hey, Joyce, can I ask you something?"_

_ "Sure." She scribbled down his weight and started to get his height as he pressed his back to the wall._

_ "Remember when you got in that really big fight with that guy you were always with?"_

_ She had been marking his height on the wall next to the long vertical ruler, but the question jarred her, and she ended up drawing a slanted, sloppy line. Frustrated, she rubbed at the wall with the eraser. "How did you know about that?"_

_ "I heard some of the nurses talking."_

_ "Huh. Well…that was…erm…my boyfriend and I…we had a fight about…the cat."_

_ "No, not that one! This one lasted for weeks. You cried for a long time. I remember because Hojo got really angry with you and called you a sniveling wench. Oh! Nurse Beth called it a 'breakup'."_

_ "Oh for the love of Shiva-Sephiroth-!"_

_Sephiroth frowned deeply. Joyce felt bad; the boy really didn't know what he was talking about._

_ "What did you want to know about it, Seph?"_

_ "I was just wondering," he said, "you went on to marry him, even after he made you so sad for so long."_

_ "I forgave him, Sephiroth. Everyone makes mistakes; you have to learn to let them go."_

_ "How do you get someone to forgive you?"_

_ Joyce wasn't sure how to answer the question. Sephiroth watched as she made faces in thought._

_ "How did that guy make you forgive him?" he prodded._

_ Joyce laughed. "It's easier for guys. Girls love flowers and diamonds. I fell for it like a big sap."_

_ "Girls fall for flowers and diamonds?"_

_ Joyce saw how deeply Sephiroth was thinking about it and decided to add a little. "Those things help, Sephiroth, but the most important thing was that he apologized, and he really meant it."_

_ "But if you didn't __**want**__ to apologize, you could use flowers and diamonds instead?"_

_ Joyce shook her head. She doubted it was worth the effort to make him understand. "I guess it would be hard to go wrong."_

_ It wasn't until the examination was over and Joyce had left the room that she put the pieces together about what was going on. She stopped in the middle of the hallway as it hit her what Sephiroth was scheming, and she wondered if she should tell someone. _

_ She eventually decided against it. Where was Sephiroth going to get flowers and diamonds, anyway? Surely it wouldn't be a cause of any real trouble._


	28. Remnant's Warning

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Remnant's Warning

Yazoo hid in a shadowed corner, following Verian's path very closely and moving without so much as a whisper of leather. Verian was oblivious to his follower, and continued onward.

After a while, Yazoo began to tire of the ridiculously easy chase. Verian was pacing circles around the Seventh Heaven, shaking his head and sighing every so often. It was frightfully boring. Yazoo could follow the footsteps with his eyes closed; Verian wasn't even trying to be silent.

Sighing, he decided the game had gone on long enough, and he drew his gun-blade, letting the weak breath of metal against its sheathe ring unhindered. "If you're hoping to get a glimpse of her husband, you are looking in the wrong place," Yazoo taunted.

Verian turned, alarmed. "Who's there?" he demanded. "Show yourself!"

Yazoo smiled, enjoying the twist on the otherwise uneventful venture. "I don't mean you any harm," he said. "Yet, anyway."

Verian was taken aback by the stranger's audacity, but not to the point where he would not seek out the silver man's eyes with a scowl. "What are you doing here? The Seventh Heaven is closed."

"Yes," Yazoo agreed. "Yes, it is. Then what might _you_ be doing here?"

Verian frowned.

Yazoo continued. "Not that you need to know, but I am simply following orders. It's nothing personal, really."

"What do you mean by 'orders'?"

Yazoo grinned. "It is really very simple, you see. I was given an errand, and I wisely chose to complete it."

"I know what an order is!" Verian hissed, not at all amused by Yazoo's dry humor. "Who sent you? What concern am I to you?"

"You are associating yourself with Aralyn, and therefore, you are every bit my concern."

"I have the right to pursue whom I will."

"The right, perhaps. However, your doing so displays a great lack of both intelligence and morality."

"Who sent you?" Verian demanded again.

Yazoo waited for several long moments, but then decided to give him an answer. "You know him…or have at least heard of him…as the man to which Aralyn is married."

To Yazoo's great amusement, Verian's eyes widened dramatically and he stumbled. The shock quickly turned to rage. "Give me a name."

"It would be unwise to give such information so freely. He wishes to remain in the shadows, and so I obey."

"Give me a name!" Verian cried, drawing a short knife and pointing it at his opponent, who only smiled.

"I was told to avoid unnecessary casualties, but know this, Verian: should you continue to seek Aralyn out, I will have no choice but to intervene."

"She and I are bound by laws that one such as you cannot comprehend. I will not relent until she is mine!"

"I have warned you," Yazoo said calmly, oblivious to the outburst. "You make it seem as if you care for Aralyn's safety, but I see through you. Even if it is your not your own best interests you are looking after, heed my advice: leave her to her fate."

Verian lunged, but his knife severed only thin air. Yazoo was gone.


	29. The Outside World

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Outside World

_Sephiroth stopped at the threshold of the front entrance to the Shinra Electric Power Company, staring at the invisible line between the building he was chained to and the rest of the world. It felt so strange, going where he had so long been forbidden to go, and going there without scheming of any kind. He'd tried more times than he could count, but no matter what path he took (fire exits, elevators, the ventilation system, and the laundry chutes were only some of the ways he had tried), it was a long, long way from the science department to the exit, and the time it took to cross that distance was his very worst enemy._

_ He prodded the dividing line with his toe, hesitant to cross it. It was too easy, and it made him nervous. What was the catch?_

_ "Come along, Sephiroth," Gast urged. "We don't have much time."_

_ Sephiroth finally stepped through the doorway, and felt an almost physical difference immediately. _

I'm out…for the first time in my life…

_ Gast took Sephiroth by the hand and led the stupefied boy through the streets of Midgar. He walked slowly, letting the boy's keen eyes take in everything. The professor mentioned the names of simple things – shops, cars, the fountain, billboards – and patiently explained the function of each. Sephiroth's scrutinizing gaze was shifting all over, in every direction except backwards._

_ "There's so many people," the awed boy said. _

_"Midgar is a big city."_

_ Sephiroth ground to a halt as his eyes traveled upwards, to the sky. Gast let him linger motionless for a while and let the boy be swept up in the full grandeur of a sunset._

_ "I didn't know the sky turned so many colors," Sephiroth said. _

_ "It's beautiful, isn't it?"_

_ "Is that where mother is? In the sky?"_

_ Gast winced, not sure how to answer. He noticed that Sephiroth's single wing was beginning to stir, as if awakening from its slumber. The professor knew he had to distract him if he was to keep the boy earth-bound. "The city takes on a different beauty at night. Loveless Avenue is lit up."_

_ Gast led Sephiroth around the long way; despite being pressed for time, this was an opportunity that meant the world to the boy. The professor eyed the silver collar around the boy's neck and watched a tiny red light blink several times, sending messages back to Shinra to show the boy's exact whereabouts. Sephiroth despised it, and even tugged on it a few times, but accepted on some level that this was the price to be paid for the trip._

_ The fact that they had been allowed at all had been a miracle. Hojo was gone, and several of the lab technicians owed Gast some favors. When Sephiroth had come to him about leaving Shinra to "see diamonds and flowers", Gast felt that it was high time the boy saw the city. They were given three hours, and it was only under the conditions that Sephiroth consent to wear the collar._

_ "Try to ignore it," Gast urged. "Look at the city instead."_

_ "I want to go inside now." Sephiroth sounded a little queasy. _

_ Gast thought the request more than a little strange. Sephiroth had been inside all his life. He reasoned that the boy might be a little more than intimidated by the vastness of the city and even the chaos of everyday life outside the rigidly structured company._

_ "We're almost to the store. You can hold my hand, if it will make you feel better."_

_ Sephiroth crossed his arms tightly and continued ahead on his own. _

_ Stubborn child, Gast thought with a fond smile. _

_"This is the diamond store?" Sephiroth asked, looking at the lavish building._

_ "Well, they sell more than diamonds. It's a jewelry shop; they have all kinds of gemstones. You are not to touch __**anything**__, am I understood?"_

_ Sephiroth hummed an affirmative but Gast wasn't convinced that he'd even heard. "I want you to wait out here, Gast."_

_ "Whatever mischief you're scheming, this is __**not**__ the place to do it."_

_ "I'm not scheming!" Sephiroth insisted, his face red. "I just…wanna go in a shop alone. Like an adult. Okay?"_

_ Gast held up his hands in defeat. "Fine," he relented. But when the boy slipped inside he moved to the window to keep a close watch._

_Sephiroth looked very out of place amid the finery. His hair was unkempt (he had resisted Gast's attempts to tidy it), and he was still dressed in hospital slacks, though he had been allowed a pair of pants instead of his usual gown. Gast could tell that Sephiroth knew he was different; he moved timidly, and kept his head down. The boy came from an entirely different world than the workers did._

_He wandered amid the cases for a while, looking very lost, until he found a woman's ring that struck his eye. Grinning, he made his way up to the sales clerk, standing on tip-toe to slide a small bag with a few gil over the counter as he gestured excitedly to the ring that he liked._

_ Gast's heart broke for Sephiroth as the sales clerk laughed and dropped the money bag at the boy's feet._

_ He came out with his head drooping. _

_ "Sephiroth," Gast tried. "Diamonds are expensive. If I had known you actually wanted to buy one, I could have told you that. There's nothing to be ashamed of."_

_ Sephiroth toyed with the pieces of money in his hands. From the looks of it, he had managed to scrape together about 50 gil. _

_ "Why did you want a diamond ring?" Gast asked._

_ "For Aralyn," he said simply. "To say sorry."_

_ "Gaia, child! What in the world gave you the idea that you needed diamonds to do that?"_

_ "I asked Joyce and she said that girls fell for diamonds and flowers."_

_ Gast was utterly at a loss for how to respond to that._

_ "You think this will buy me some flowers, at least?" Sephiroth asked._

_ "Maybe a daisy or two," Gast said. "But Sephiroth, flowers die quickly. Are you sure that's exactly what you want?"_

_ Sephiroth became angry. "What am I supposed to do, then? If I can't get diamonds or flowers, how am I supposed to tell her that I'm really, really, __**really**__ sorry?"_

_ Gast waited for him to calm a bit. "You could do exactly that: tell her." _

_Sephiroth made a face. "Yeah," he conceded. "I know."_

_Gast knew that Sephiroth was trying the best way he knew how to make things right, and he felt bad that he worked so hard for so little money only to have his efforts put to waste._

_ "Do you still want to pick out a small gift for her?"_

_ Sephiroth nodded._

_ "Let's go to the supermarket. They have small toys and girl's jewelry there. You should be able to get her something."_

_ "What about the flowers, though?" Sephiroth asked._

_ "I have an idea, Seph. She'll love it much better than a bouquet."_

_ "Are you sure?"_

_ Gast smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "I've been around the block enough times to know how to apologize to a girl. Trust me on this one."_


	30. Apologies

Chapter Thirty: Apologies

_Aralyn awoke in the middle of the night, trembling from a nightmare that she couldn't quite recall. No light had been left on, and the darkness pressed heavily on her. She lay very still, petrified into mute shock. _

_ There was a soft, quiet knock on the door. She threw her covers over her head, hiding from the imagined demon. "Aralyn!" Sephiroth whispered loudly through the door. "It's just me!"_

_ Aralyn didn't move from under the covers, but calmed somewhat at the assurance that Sephiroth was near. She didn't speak, however, afraid that he was still angry with her for what she had done in the records room._

_ "Aralyn, hurry or we'll miss it!" he knocked again, this time sounding more urgent. _

_ When she didn't respond, he began to sound truly concerned. "Aralyn?"_

_ "I-I can't move, Sephiroth!" she breathed fearfully._

_ He paused a moment and then understanding hit him. "You didn't leave a light on, did you?"_

_ "I…forgot?" she squeaked, ashamed. She had fallen asleep mid-afternoon and was just now waking up. She hadn't thought she would sleep so long, and so hadn't turned her nightlight on._

_ She heard rapid footsteps padding away on the tile, which then grew louder as they returned. A bright light was shone through the small window in Aralyn's door, freeing Aralyn's paralyzed limbs._

_ "Is that better?"_

_ "Thank you," she gasped, finally daring to venture out of her bed. "I'll…I'll be right out."_

_ She threw on a plain blue hospital gown printed with tiny white daisies and gold centers, as it was the first thing she could find. She fussed with her hair, tying it up with a white ribbon after messily braiding it. Timidly, she unlocked the door and stepped out._

_ Sephiroth shyly handed her the flashlight, averting his eyes, his cheeks far more tinted than her own. "I'm sorry about the way I treated you," he blurted out. "It was wrong of me, and I'm…"_

_ "You were right to be mad," Aralyn replied. "I ruined your one chance to find out the truth. I know what I've done, and I can understand if you never, ever want to talk to me again."_

_ "You were just trying to protect me," he said, smiling tensely. "You…probably saved me from an awful lot of pain."_

_ Aralyn flushed red and bowed her head._

_ "But tonight I'll make it up to you!" Sephiroth said._

_ Aralyn looked up, confused. "But the night-guards…!"_

_ Sephiroth grabbed both her hands and pulled her along. "Come on, trust me!"_

_ He led her through three or four hallways before stopping, knocking on another door and patiently waiting. An exhausted Professor Gast opened the door. His lab coat was on but his hair and expression clearly indicated that he had just gotten out of bed. "All right, Seph," he said, yawning. "Let's go."_

_ They followed the professor into an elevator, passing a guard on the way, but the man stood down after Gast flashed his ID. Guards became increasingly frequent as they exited the elevator after a lengthy ride, and security was tight enough to choke Aralyn. She began to both wonder and worry about exactly where she was being led._

_ "Trust me," Sephiroth whispered._

_ Aralyn simply nodded, not daring to speak as they passed a particularly bulky guard with a stun baton that was thicker than she was._

_ Their journey ended at a door that was heavily barred, a panel on the side requiring both a thumbprint and a retina scan to enter. Gast was the one to provide the data, informing the computer that the two children were guests. Clearance was granted and Sephiroth urged Aralyn to turn on her flashlight, leading their way with a single beam of light._

_ Gast took the flashlight from her after a while and winked at the silver-haired boy, who grinned impishly in return. He slid behind Aralyn and put his hands over her eyes. "Almost there!" he said, his voice light and excited. At his gentle urging, Aralyn continued blindly forward, trusting him to guide her. This darkness did not frighten her; not when Sephiroth was leading her._

_ The room in which she was led was noticeably more humid, and whirring fans barely kept the warmth down to a bearable level. "Sephiroth?" she asked warily. "Where are we?"_

_ He laughed lightly in her ear. "The experimental botany laboratory. Look," he breathed as he unveiled her eyes. _

_ Aralyn was hit with a wave of color, and she staggered back, shocked into an embarrassing state of imbalance that caused her to collapse backwards. Strong, small arms caught her, and soft, pale hands turned her head so she could see._

_ Aralyn was standing in the middle of the largest arboretum in all of Gaia._

_ All shades of green were the first to meet her eyes, ranging from pastel to a shade so dark and rich it looked like tinted ebony. Sizes varied as well, from buds the size of teardrops to leaves that could serve as small shelters. The ground was grassy in some areas, while others were paved by stepping-stones and surrounded by soft, warm moss. As she looked closer, she found more hidden treasures in the sea of green. Flowers from domestic daisies to tropical varieties that she had never seen before sparkled with the artificial dew that fell from sprinklers on the ceiling. Some trees, vines and bushes boasted fruits, looking so ripe and juicy that they seemed to waver, teetering precariously on the edge between clinging and falling. _

_ And, to her utmost delight, butterflies and birds of all colors flew freely, different wings further adding to the wide array of color._

_ "Sephiroth…it's beautiful!" She was crying now, overwhelmed by the beauty around her._

_ "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly, brushing her tears away. He didn't understand, and his face was contorted in confusion. _

_ "It's wonderful! Like a dream!" she said. _

_ He smiled and grabbed her hand, leading her away from Gast to a pavilion of whitewashed wood. He sat her on a table in the center and pointed her view to the vines of roses that encircled the posts. Red and white had been bred to intermingle as they climbed ever higher, blotches of blood and snow on an emerald field. _

_ "I have something for you."_

_ Aralyn turned. "You didn't have to…"_

_ "Gast went into town, and I earned a little money doing miscellaneous jobs for some of the scientists. I saw it and I…I thought of you. Close your eyes, Aralyn."_

_ Aralyn did so, shivering as she felt his fingers around her neck, clasping a necklace around it. He smiled and held up the emblem for her to see._

_ It was a simple rainbow; colors arched together and at each end were puffy clouds. Glitter had been painted over the whole emblem, making it glitter brighter than a diamond to her._

_ "Thank you, Sephiroth," she threw her arms around him, catching him off guard, but he soon relaxed and embraced her back. _

_ No gemstone could ever be more valuable than the childish necklace around her neck._

_ "Gast, hurry!" Sephiroth called. "The eclipse!"_

_ Gast shook his head, smiling. He flipped a switch and the panels that made up the ceiling began to fold back, revealing a dark, clear sky flecked with stars. As Sephiroth had predicted, the moon's edge was already hidden, and Aralyn watched in wonder as the orb was concealed, then unveiled yet again._

_ Aralyn didn't know how long they stood there under the stars and amidst the fireflies that had come out of the darkness to light their night. One moment she was standing, and the next she was carried carefully by Gast, Sephiroth trailing along beside, smiling like she had never seen him before._


	31. Unexpected Siege

Chapter Thirty-One: Unexpected Siege

Aralyn reentered the kitchen, balancing a gray tub filled with dirty dishes in one hand and clutching the other to her cheek. She smiled sheepishly at the confused look Tifa gave her. "I um…dropped a glass."

"On your cheek?" Tifa asked, taking the dishes and immersing them in warm, soapy water. "How did you manage that?"

"It wasn't the glass…and I need a dustpan."

Sighing, Tifa handed her a small hand broom and the dustpan, knowing that Aralyn wouldn't let her take care of it. She was a voracious worker, and was stubborn to a fault to take care of herself, by herself. Often, she would work the full eight hours and then plead for overtime. Tifa had to draw the line at 10 p.m. and had insisted on paying her for the extra hours.

"What were your other jobs like?" Yuffie asked, directing the question at Aralyn but speaking so Tifa wouldn't turn and see her fist buried in the cookie jar.

"I worked a lot longer than this, and for a lot less," she said softly. "You are too generous with me."

"No, the others were just abusing you," Tifa interrupted. "You couldn't work for a big company or something?"

"No one would take me, so I took any chance I got."

Aralyn turned and exited the kitchen, kneeling and gently gathering the sparkling shards of glass safely into the dustpan. Yuffie noticed that the man at whose feet she worked was shouting at her, scolding her harshly while she meekly apologized again and again. As her hands were occupied, Yuffie and Tifa could see that the wound she had clutched before was a bright red patch in the shape of a human hand.

There was a strength in the way she held herself. Though humbly apologizing for an accident she probably hadn't even caused, and though she was bent over to sweep the floor, she was composed, serene, and soft-spoken.

"That woman has the patience of a saint," Tifa sighed. "Yuffie, take over her job and send her back here to cook with me."

"Ooh! Can I throw something at him? Please?"

"Aralyn would never forgive you. Just send her back."

"Meh," Yuffie spat disgustedly, but she did as she was told.

"I'm so sorry, Aralyn," Tifa said as she pulled a clean towel from a drawer. She filled a bowl with cool water and soaked the rag, gently dabbing her cheek with it.

"I'm fine, really." Aralyn seemed uncomfortable with the attention, so she looked around for a job she could complete. "What do you need done?"

"I want some company," she said simply. "Yuffie's no good for holding a conversation with and the stoic vampire," she gestured to Vincent, who was passing through the kitchen, "is even worse."

Vincent ignored the comment and continued on his way. Aralyn couldn't hold back a smile.

"All right," she said. "If that's where you need me!"

Aralyn's hands flew with the goal of being occupied every second. Dishes were cleaned quickly, but thoroughly, and loaves of dough were set out and stored to be baked when the oven was free. She spoke only when Tifa started a conversation, but was not stubbornly silent or unpleasant to be around.

More than once, Aralyn got a far away look in her eyes and Tifa heard her humming a melancholy tune that she recognized as a love ballad.

"You still love him, don't you?"

Aralyn raised her head from cleaning a large soup pot, looking panicked. Tifa continued, eager to soothe her. "I mean, I don't know who he is, and I promise I won't investigate unless I have your consent, but when you look like that, I know you're thinking of him."

Aralyn shrugged sadly and began to rub away at a grease stain. "Pathetic, isn't it?" She smiled grimly, silently laughing at some morbid joke. "You'd think I'd want to part ways after he left me…especially after he left me like he did…" She fingered her wedding band. "Yes, I still love him. He was…he _is_ everything to me."

Tifa turned away after Aralyn remained silent for a while, but she thought she heard her whisper once more.

"…Does that make me as bad as he is…?"

"Hey, I need an order for five people! Two want barbeque wings and the others…"

Yuffie brought them back to work, and the pair began working side by side for the next few hours, neither speaking more of their past conversation.

It was always a relief when the customers trickled away gradually until the entire dining area was cleared, occupied only by close friends that had been allowed to stay. Aralyn baked the last of the dough, and as her final duty for the day, served her handiwork to all who lingered.

Marlene and Denzel thundered down the stairs, enjoying their release from the upper floor and using their freedom to frolic around the nearly deserted restaurant. When their bursts of energy had been spent, Marlene pulled Aralyn over to a table where Cloud, Cid, Barret and Vincent were playing a game of cards. Marlene pushed her into a chair, and then snuggled into her lap so she couldn't escape.

Yuffie peered over Vincent's shoulder, then compared whatever she had seen to Cid's cards. When she opened her mouth, Cid promptly opened his. "Keep yer findings to yerself!"

"Can I play?" Denzel asked, pulling up a chair beside Cloud. The blonde nodded and drew a small handful of cards and handed them to the boy. He gathered another deck and offered it to Aralyn.

"You want in?" he asked.

"What game?"

"Just 'go fish'. Cid and Barret get lethal with anything else."

"Spoons was the worst," Denzel groaned, gesturing to Barret's built in gun of an arm. "He nearly crushed Cloud's hand into powder."

Aralyn chuckled, but Marlene answered for her as she prepared her polite refusal. "She doesn't want to play because she knows she'd beat you hands down, and she wants to be a proper lady and preserve your dignity!"

"Suit yourself," Cid said, yelling out a very foul sounding insult as Vincent laid down a card. "Why you little…I'll git ya for that one!"

Vincent casually laid down another card, causing Cid to rise from his seat and pound his fists on the table. "That ain't fair!"

"You guys are boring," Marlene complained. She turned her large, expressive eyes up to Aralyn. "Could you play dolls with me?"

Aralyn smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair out of the girl's eyes. "I'd love to."

Skipping, Marlene took Aralyn's hand and pulled her up the stairs, already talking about the dolls that awaited them upstairs.

The game continued, Cid sending ineffective glares at the ever-emotionless Vincent. Tifa sat down, not joining the game but enjoying the watching.

After a minute of tense silence, Vincent calmly laid down another pair, causing Cid's most explosive reaction yet. "HE CHEATED! HE'S GOT LASER VISION OR SOMETHIN' CAUSE THERE AIN'T NO WAY…"

A knock on the door to the Seventh Heaven stopped Cid's outburst. Vincent was the first to react. Quickly, his three-barreled gun Cerberus was in his hand, his form tense and poised to react. "Vincent," Yuffie complained. "It's probably just a…"

Verian peered in through the glass, paling as he met Vincent's stare, but he did not retreat. Vincent frowned dangerously, opened the door, dragged the boy in and pinned him to the wall by his throat, using his clawed hand. Cerberus was pressed to his temple.

"Hey, ain't ya that kid that won't stop chasing Aralyn?" Cid asked. "'Cause I don't think I've ever seen anyone make him so mad before…"

"I…came to talk…"

"Aralyn will not speak with you," Vincent said, not releasing his grip. Aralyn, who had been returning down the stairs with Marlene's hand in hers stopped as she heard this. She faltered as she saw Verian, and when Vincent waved her away, she quickly gathered Marlene and retreated upstairs.

"So…you won't bargain?"

"At least let the guy down," Cloud urged. "He won't be going anywhere, and he can speak more coherently when his life isn't flashing before his eyes."

Vincent's eyes narrowed to burning slits but he complied. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"Can I just talk with her?" Verian pleaded. "Please, you can all stay here and watch but I need to…what was that?"

Some turned, but Vincent's eyes remained focused on Verian. "I'm serious!" he cried. "Someone was outside your window!"

Tifa opened the window he had gestured to and searched to her left and right, then below her in the bushes and above her in the sky. "No one."

"It was that silver-haired man, I know it!"

Cloud sat up straight, suddenly on edge.

"Very funny," Yuffie said. "None of those guys are stupid enough to come and attack while we're all gathered here."

"Not attack! He's after…"

Vincent silenced him with a threatening wave of Cerberus. "Hold your tongue, boy."

"Tifa? Tifa!"

Tifa stood, responding to Marlene's voice. "Yes?" she asked, somewhat disturbed by the sudden tension in the air.

"There was someone here and Aralyn…Aralyn…"


	32. Healing Hands, Harmful Intent

Chapter Thirty-Two: Healing Hands, Harmful Intent

Cloud was up the stairs before Marlene had repeated Aralyn's name the second time, alarmed by the child's frightened voice. Vincent was a hair's breadth behind, while everyone else was left to clamber up afterward.

Even though Cloud had a head start, Vincent was the first to see what had happened. The window was broken, shards of glass littering the carpet like starlit knives, a free, chilling breeze left to permeate the room without hindrance. Marlene was crouched next to Aralyn, who was lying face down on the floor, her body quivering and her skin a deathly pale color.

Vincent hurried and turned her over on her back. "Aralyn, who was it?"

Aralyn shook her head, her eyes bright with fear as she lost her strength, her control over her body, and her consciousness.

"He didn't even come in!" Marlene said. "He just looked at her and…"

"Which one was it?" Cloud asked.

"Kadaj," the girl replied. "I'm sure of it."

Tifa entered the room, wielding a first aid kit in one hand and a thick, sturdy wooden staff in the other. Verian momentarily burst through as well, but Cloud roughly pushed him back.

"What happened?" Tifa demanded.

"Aralyn was an experiment of Hojo's when she was a child," Vincent said slowly. "Something went wrong, and now, all these years later, it's slowly killing her."

Tifa knelt beside Aralyn, pulled the quilt from the nearby bed, draped it over her, and slid a pillow under her head. Tifa placed the back of her hand on Aralyn's forehead, withdrawing it quickly afterward and shaking her hand to cool it. "Why didn't you tell us?" she asked Vincent.

Aralyn's breathing was heavy and labored, beads of sweat rolling down her cheeks as tears flowed from her clenched eyes. Tifa searched through the small kit, but found nothing that could help. Biting her lip, Tifa settled for bringing a bowl of cool water and mopping the girl's face. "There isn't anything we can do?" Tifa asked pleadingly, looking to Vincent.

Vincent looked to Aralyn sorrowfully, then turned his gaze back to Tifa and shook his head. "This is beyond anyone's control." It was said coldly, and stated as an unfeeling fact, but Tifa saw the flicker of fire in his eyes and knew that he wished he could say otherwise.

Aralyn was choking now, gasping for air and clinging to Tifa for support. She tried to calm her, giving her words of strength and encouragement, but she was mostly at a loss as for what to say.

Then Verian broke through, seizing Aralyn's form from Tifa and gently adjusting her so she rested snugly in his arms. Vincent reacted as if to attack, but Tifa stayed his hand.

"What have they done to you, my Gloria?" he asked, reaching into a pouch at his waist and pulling out a small, brown leather wrapped package. "Why did you leave when you knew you would only find pain?"

From the wrappings he pulled a small white blossom that bloomed from a moss-green leaf. Using his free hand, he gently coaxed Aralyn's lips to open, pressed the flower to her tongue, and watched carefully to ensure that she chewed and swallowed. She shook her head and tried to spit it out, her face contorting from the bitter taste, but Verian held her jaw firmly closed until she consumed it in defeat.

Vincent took her from him the moment his work was done, laying her back under the quilt and keeping silent vigil as Tifa continued consoling her.

Moments passed, the creeping seconds measured only by Aralyn's infrequent breaths. At first it was worse. She shook with shivers even though she was burning and she no longer responded to anything they did. Vincent turned away, unable to watch any longer. Tifa held her close, waiting for the end to come…

Aralyn finally fell back against the pillows, her body relaxed and a small, nervous smile adorning her lips. Her breathing slowly became more regular, and over the next hour, her fever broke. No one said a word as Vincent silently moved her to the bed, grabbing Verian by the collar of his shirt and dragging him out, Tifa following after.

"She's all right," Tifa announced to everyone present.

"No," Vincent interrupted. "This will only delay her passing."

The room fell silent, any smiles that Tifa's news had produced quickly wiped away by Vincent's cold proclamation of the truth.

"Can't it be undone?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent didn't answer. He didn't have to. Instead, he turned to Verian. "You will stay. When she wakes, I will let you say what you want to her. You will have five minutes. I will be present."

Verian looked as if he didn't know whether to be happy for the opportunity or frightened. "Very well," he agreed.

Vincent turned and left, not leaving any explanation as to where he was going or when he would be back. Truth be told, he didn't have the answers himself.

_ Kadaj is the one that triggered it. _Vincent thought. _I wonder…_


	33. Never Enough Time

Chapter Thirty-Three: Never Enough Time

_ "Sephiroth, open the door!"_

_ Reno the Turk rammed his fist into the door repeatedly, holding a stack of papers the size of a large encyclopedia in the other arm and trying to balance it while continuing his attack on the door._

_ "Nothing major," Reno lied through his teeth, glancing at the papers again. "Just a little light reading and a few signatures!"_

_ "Give up, Reno," a man with black, spiked hair advised. "That is not how one calls on the great General Sephiroth."_

_ Reno turned, scoffing at the visitor. "And you could do any better, Zack? I've been here for forever and if I don't get back soon Tseng will tan my hide!"_

_ Zack smiled, shaking his head playfully. "Observe, and take good notes, because chances are you'll be asked to do this again."_

_ Zack made quite a show of cracking his knuckles, and even added in a few breathing exercises and squats for emphasis. The redhead was not impressed, and met Zack's smile with a stern face. _

_ Shrugging, Zack approached the door and knocked softly and politely. "Seph!" he called. "I'm coming in! You've been warned." With that greeting, Zack grabbed the papers from Reno and kicked in the door, strolling in confidently while whistling a particularly annoying tune. _

_ Reno didn't see what happened, but one moment Zack was in Sephiroth's office and the next he was thrown flat against the wall, landing on his behind, disoriented. The door was slammed shut, and both heard the distinct sound of moving furniture; it seemed that Sephiroth had barricaded the door._

_ "That was great," Reno said, giving him a mock round of applause. "I especially enjoyed the 'Seph' part. I think he loved it."_

_Frowning, Zack stood and approached the door. For a minute he seemed baffled, but then a mischievous smirk crept across his face._

_ "General Sephiroth," Zack tried again._

_ There was no answer._

_ "You see, we need you to look at some papers. I'd forge your signature for you, but the Turks would get on me for that. Come on, Seph, be a pal?"_

_ When Sephiroth gave no reply, Zack grinned from ear to ear and employed his secret weapon. "…Or I might just have to disclose exactly what I saw in there to my good friend, Reno."_

_ With only a moment's hesitation, the furniture was once again moved and the door thrown open. A gloved hand thrust itself from the small crack that Sephiroth allowed, which was not nearly enough space to see what it was he was hiding. Zack placed the papers in Sephiroth's hand, at which time he quickly retracted and shut the door._

_ "Thank you, Seph," Zack called, still chuckling._

_ Reno lifted his eyebrows. "Blackmail, huh? You managed to get some dirt on the General? Come on, spill the beans!"_

_ "Are you kidding?" Zack laughed. "I can use this against him for the rest of his life! Oh, the fearsome General…who would have imagined!"_

* * *

_ "The next Turk I see is going to get it," Sephiroth hissed. "Can't get five minutes of peace here!" _

_ Aralyn approached him and laid a hand on his arm, clearly trying to hide the beginnings of a smile and laughter. "It's just part of being important, I guess. They don't mean to annoy you…they're just doing their job."_

_ "Or maybe they are annoying me because it _is_ their job," he replied. He laid the large tome of papers on his desk, sighing deeply. "And Zack had better keep his mouth shut."_

_ "Would it be so terrible if he didn't? Why keep this a secret?" Aralyn asked. Sephiroth's expression clearly indicated that she had asked a thousand times before and that the answer had not changed. "Would it really be that bad if people knew that you were seeing me? Is it a crime?"_

_ Sephiroth shook his head. "Aralyn, I want this to be just between you and me."_

_ "Is it your pride?" she asked. "Are you afraid that the General would be seen with someone so undeserving and frail?"_

_ "Aralyn don't even talk like that…"_

_ "Then what is it?" she cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation. _

_ Sephiroth wanted to give her an answer, but words would not come. He was fully aware that his logic was more than slightly convoluted; a conglomerate of half-reasons that even combined didn't make a legitimate excuse, but he stuck to his decision nonetheless._

_ Aralyn hung her head. "Well, I guess you don't have time for lunch today," she said, sounding sad and disappointed. She picked up the picnic basket she had brought and held it in her hands. _

_ Sephiroth sat back in his revolving chair and laid his head in his hands, looking exhausted and overwhelmed. "I'm so sorry, Aralyn. Truly I am. We'll do it another day."_

_ "That's what you said last time," Aralyn whispered. "You could at least come up with some more creative ways of saying it." She smiled grimly at the humor, then turned and walked slowly toward the door._

_ Sephiroth stood and was in front of her in an instant, blocking her path. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. _

_ Gone was the gangly and uncertain girl he had grown up with. The years had transformed her, and while she had never been ugly, the metamorphosis was like comparing a caterpillar to a butterfly. Her features were softer and more mature, fitting for a young woman instead of a little girl. Her hair fell to her waist, her rebellious bangs sometimes veiling parts of her heart-shaped face in shimmering gold. The one thing that hadn't changed were her eyes. Sephiroth delved into them, taking comfort in their familiar warmth. _

_ He was not immune to change either. When once his wardrobe consisted only of hospital gowns, now he was dressed in black leather with metal pauldrons on his shoulders. He dwarfed her in size, standing more than a head taller, and was of a far stronger build. His hair had grown as well, and now it rested nearly at his knees, his peaked bangs that would not be flattened trimmed at his jaw. Aralyn told him that while his eyes had always been emerald in color, they seemed to shine more brightly than when they were younger. He attributed this to the mako to which he was daily subjected._

_ "I want to see you again," he said._

_ "You don't have the time, Sephiroth!" she said. "Every day, something new comes up."_

_ "Not next time. It will be me and you…no distractions. Name a place, I'll take you anywhere in Gaia."_

_ "Oh, Sephiroth," she sighed, allowing her head to rest on his desk. "You don't need a girl right now. You're a first class Soldier…the best that's ever lived! Shinra needs you, and you have everything you could ever want!"_

_ "You don't like my position, do you?" he asked point-blank._

_ Aralyn looked at him earnestly. "Are you happy here?"_

_ He wasn't positive of the answer, but it was certainly better than the labs, which was the only other life he had ever known. "Yes," he answered, but hesitantly._

_ "Then I am happy as well."_

_ Sephiroth frowned deeply as Aralyn stood. She placed the basket beside him. "Keep the lunch for when you're hungry. I made pastries, and if you eat them quickly they'll still be warm. I will wait for you to call. Anytime is good for me."_

_ She left after a quick, formal good-bye, leaving Sephiroth alone with several hundred forms to complete. He buried his head in his hands, fighting exhaustion for a moment before reaching for a pen and beginning his work. _

_ "Couldn't be helped," he murmured, but not even saying it aloud could convince him that it was true._


	34. History Forgotten

Chapter Thirty-Four: History Forgotten

Aralyn was wary when she awoke to find Vincent staring at her. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she wriggled into a sitting position and stretched her arms in front of her. "Why am I here?" she asked as she saw that she was laid in Marlene's bed.

"Your sickness acted up," Vincent said. "You don't remember?"

"Oh," she said softly. "Then it wasn't a dream…"

"No. And there's another…issue that needs dealing with."

Aralyn tilted her head to the side, confused.

"We were about to lose you, but Verian stepped in. He gave you some kind of herb, and it broke your fever and allowed you to sleep. You…and all of us…are indebted to him."

"I take it he asked for something in return," she said. "And I take it you don't like it much."

"I don't like it at all," he clarified, his eyes darkening. "But it is comparatively little payment for what he's done."

"All right, what is it?"

"He wants to tell you of what he perceives to be your past before Shinra. I gave him five minutes, and I will be present so he doesn't try anything."

Aralyn laid back against the pillow, sighing. "Do I want to hear this?"

"I don't know."

"Well, it's been agreed. Can he come now? I don't want to wait in anticipation."

"Fair enough. I'll go get him."

Vincent left, returning after only a minute with the young man in tow. Verian smiled at her, taking the liberty of helping himself to a chair at her bedside. "Good to see you up!" he said, taking her hands.

Aralyn pulled her hands away, folding them neatly in her lap instead, making sure that her wedding ring was clearly visible. Verian's smile faded, but he did not protest.

"You've wasted ten seconds," Vincent warned. "And don't think I'm not counting."

"He doesn't know how to take things lightly, does he?" Verian frowned. "Well, whatever."

"You better speak quickly then."

"You were born on the first day of spring in the village of Altair, which is far from here. Your mother's name was Nadea, and she was a mage who specialized in the healing arts. Your father was Bryan, and he was very high up in the government. You were very anticipated, because your father was a strong ruler, and there were many who would have his bloodline continue to rule. He was very fair and compassionate…the people loved him very much.

"Then, when you were only hours old, Bafisk invaded Altair without warning. The Altairians were a people of peace, and stood no chance against Bafisk's army. There were few casualties, as the leaders saw the danger and quickly surrendered to protect the lives that might have been taken. The transition was peaceful, and the government leaders were allowed to live within the city. Still, you and your mother were required to stay within the walls of the capital building, while your father was under close guard at all hours. The new powers feared that the people would revolt because your parents were so dearly loved. They didn't, for the sake of you and your mother.

"Your name was Gloria Dawn, which was unusual because traditionally a girl child was only given one name until marriage."

Verian paused here, seeming hesitant at this part. "And then my father came to live in Altair as an embassy from Bafisk. I was three at the time.

"My father introduced me to your mother then, and while I don't remember the details, I was told that she seemed to take a great interest in me. To ensure the peace of our provinces and to further unite them…"

He stopped abruptly, clearly trying to gauge how she would take this. Vincent cleared his throat, reminding him that his time was ebbing away.

"You and I…were betrothed."

Aralyn stared at him.

"I know that's not how things are done here, and it seems strange to you, but it's true. Within months, we were promised to each other. You were too small to know…your mother had to hold you during the ceremony because you couldn't even walk yet."

Aralyn looked away, so Verian couldn't see how she reacted to this. He continued. "And then your mother left with you when you were six and I was nine. I take it you made it to the Midgar border, but then your mother disappeared. I suspect it was fiends. Hojo found you then…and you grew up in Shinra, ignorant of all this."

He waited for some kind of sign from Aralyn. It came quickly. "So you expect me to marry you on the basis of a past I can't recall?"

"No…I…well…"

Vincent interjected. "You have one minute, but if Aralyn is tired of your lies, I will remove you immediately."

"It can't be the truth," Aralyn said.

"You doubt me?"

"Do I _doubt_ you? Give me one reason why I should _believe_ you! This is _fantasy_, and even if it wasn't, you're hiding something from me," she accused. "I take it you are unmarried, and you've been waiting for me for all these years, correct? Why me? What makes me different from another princess or whatever you call them where you come from? You've conveniently left that bit out."

Verian didn't answer, the tense silence confirming that there was something he was withholding.

"You and I were promised to each other," Verian insisted. "We are bound."

"Your laws hold no value here," Aralyn insisted. "Even if I choose to believe you…I will not agree to this."

"You don't have a choice…!" Verian burst out, but quickly checking his anger. "You _aren't_ Aralyn…you _never_ were! You are Gloria Dawn, firstborn daughter of Nadea the Sage and Bryan the Emperor, and as such are bound by the same laws that bind me."

Vincent didn't wait any longer. His face dark and furious, he seized his arm and threw Verian out the door, shutting and locking it behind him.

"Think about it, Gloria," Verian pleaded before his footsteps faded.

"I shouldn't have agreed to that," Vincent said darkly, his anger not pointed at her. "He's clearly mad."

"Do you believe it?" Aralyn asked.

"It is not my place to say. All that matters is what you believe."

"I've always wanted to know about my past," Aralyn said musingly. "It's strange…I have to wonder if he knew my desire and was preying on it. If he did, how did he know me?" she shook her head. "No one knows me; I'm invisible. I need to be. If he thinks he's telling the truth, then I have a madman after me."

"It is concerning, regardless of whether he's telling the truth or not."

Aralyn nodded in agreement. "Vincent, could I have a moment to myself?"

Vincent nodded, stopping for a moment and bending down to pick something up that had been left by the door. "Verian left this." He set it on her bedside table and then left, gently closing the door behind him.

Aralyn cautiously opened the box. Inside was a heart shaped locket made of gold and carved with vines. Tiny flowers of rubies and sapphires bloomed from the vine, surrounded by emerald leaflets. Inside were two pictures, both in sepia ink, and looking as if they had been half burned at some point. One was a man, tall and regal, dressed in fine military gear with badges for countless acts of bravery. In his hand was a sword, long and thin, with gems inlaid in the hilt.

The other was a woman with long, wavy hair in a plain, flowing white gown. She clutched a wrapped bundle in her arms, and bright baby eyes peered through the folds. She smiled as she looked at her child, and one of her fingers was extended for the infant to grasp with her tiny hands.

_This was your mother's locket. She loved you very much…and our betrothal was not done out of anything but concern for your future. Think about what I have said. I will wait and find you when Vincent is not around. –Verian_

Aralyn closed the locket and tossed the note to the side of the bed after tearing it into pieces. Verian had come out of nowhere, from a land of fantasy, and offered her a past and a family, which she had never had before. Despite herself, she opened the locket and felt a deep ache in her chest. Could these faces be the parents she had never known, she wondered? Were they familiar because some part of her remembered, or was that only because she wished it to be true?

Her mother had disappeared, but what of her father? Was there a way to see him again? Was _Verian_ the only way?

Despite the strangeness of the situation, there was a very real part of her that wished this fantasy was true. It offered her the hope of a family, which she had not had in many long years.

Still fingering the locket, she lay on her side and closed her eyes. "I think I know now," she whispered. "Sephiroth…I think I understand how you must have felt in Nibelheim."

Gently, she closed the locket. With resolve on her face, she vowed to herself that she would not fall the way that her husband had. She had enough to mend from the past she did remember – she did not have the strength to worry about the unknown before that.


	35. First Class Catastrophe

Chapter Thirty-Five: First Class Catastrophe

_When lunch hour came, Zack made his way to the small restaurant that was Shinra's most reliable establishment, meaning that it didn't serve food out of a vending machine. He sat at a table, collapsing on one chair and draping his feet across another. Drumming his fingers on the table, he waited for one of the nearby waitresses to take his order. It took a moment longer than usual; the women were involved in their conversation. He took a moment to enjoy the classic white, black, and silver checkered décor, but soon became bored by it._

_ A girl with flaming red hair trimmed at her ears finally decided to attend to him. "Can I help you?" she asked, handing him a menu, which he returned. He wasn't here for food. _

_ "Yes. I'm looking for a friend of mine. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and is a little shorter than you are. Know of anyone?" He flashed a dazzling smile. He knew it wasn't much to go on, but it was all he had gleaned from his glimpse in Sephiroth's office earlier that morning. That, and a black uniform and white apron that made him believe she must work here._

_ "Sir, there are hundreds of girls in Shinra that…"_

_ She was interrupted by a loud crash, followed immediately by the sound of glass falling and shattering. A shrill cry sounded, though Zack was relieved to realize that it seemed to be more out of surprise than actual pain. The waitress slammed the menu down on Zack's table angrily. "Aralyn!" she shrieked. _

_ The woman was sprawled out on her back, shards of porcelain and glass sprinkled around her, a server's tray abandoned near her head. Her eyes were hazy, and she seemed confused and disoriented. "Aralyn!" the red headed server screamed again. "Can't you do anything right? I just had to get a new set from the last time this happened!"_

_ Zack stepped in, deftly maneuvering so he was between the waitress and the woman on the floor. "She may be hurt, and all you can care about are a few dishes?" Zack waved her away. The waitress's cheeks flamed, and she pivoted and walked away haughtily, huffing incoherently as she left._

_ Zack turned to the woman, kneeling beside her and offering a hand. He smiled warmly and kept his tone light. "Hey, you need a hand there? Your name's Aralyn, right? I'm Zack Fair. Soldier, second class."_

_ He gripped her hand firmly and pulled her up. She wavered, clutching her free hand to her head and moaning softly. "Hit your head?" Zack asked, supporting her and helping her to her feet. "Quite a fall you took. Could have been worse, though. You're lucky."_

_ As her golden hair fell away from her face, his eyes widened. "Wait, you're Sephiroth's…" he stopped abruptly._

_ Aralyn frantically gestured for him to stop talking. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Fair. Thanks for the hand."_

_ "Hey, if I'm the only one with the decency to help, this place has got some issues."_

_ "Aralyn!" the waitress's shrill voice called. "Get in here! Break's not for another hour!"_

_ "I have to go," she said apologetically. "Please don't tell anyone about…us. He wants it to be a secret."_

_ Zack dragged two fingers across his lips and then tossed an imaginary key over his shoulder. "I will see you again, maybe after I file a complaint for that waitress. Has she always treated you this way?"_

_ "It's nothing, really," she insisted, beginning to gather the shards with a broom. _

_ "Is Sephiroth aware of how you are being treated?"_

_ Aralyn shook her head. "It's good for the waitress that he doesn't." She smiled wryly. "I might not have a manager the next day."_

_ "Oh, you'd have her, but she'd be missing a few vital body parts and come to work in a particularly small cardboard box."_

_ Aralyn smiled, chuckling politely. He laughed along with her, then lightly clapped her on the arm and winked. "Catch you later, Aralyn."_

_ She smiled and returned to her work. "Wait!" she called, looking up. "You'll see Sephiroth later, won't you?"_

_ "I could run into him, why?"_

_ She smiled, sadly. "Could you just…tell him I said hello?"_

_ Zack nodded. "Will do."_


	36. Conspirators

Chapter Thirty-Six: Conspirators

Verian was aware of the nearly silent footsteps that followed him around every corner and turn. When he turned back to look, all he saw were shadows. He didn't call out; he knew who it was. Only when he reached a secluded park did the stranger slip from the darkness. The man was significantly shorter and younger than his brother, but they shared the same silver hair and glowing, catlike green eyes. Unlike his elder brother, however, this man was an ally.

"Aralyn rejected you," Kadaj began, smiling.

Verian frowned but did not comment on the obvious insult. "What do you need?"

"I've come to renew my offer," Kadaj said, idly tossing a materia sphere in his hand as he spoke. "Maybe this time you will accept?"

Verian sighed. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you offering this? Your brother Yazoo clearly disapproves, and if I'm not mistaken, you serve the same master."

Kadaj chuckled darkly. "Hardly. My 'master', as you call him, happens to be away on…business, and what he doesn't know won't hurt me." He caught the materia and rotated it in his palm. It started to glow with a pale yellow light. His voice lost its humor, and became soft, alluring, like a predator coaxing its prey. "I am offering to help you. I believe that what you gain will be worth it to you, and that's all that matters, right? What I gain is my own business. I'm sparing you the petty details."

Verian looked hesitant, so Kadaj continued. "Aralyn is yours by right. Both you and I know that. Do you have another solution?"

Verian turned his back. "Can I have time to think this through?"

"You don't have that time," Kadaj shot back, impatient now. Verian was unnerved by how abruptly Kadaj's mood changed. "Aralyn is dying. She will not survive to fulfill your purposes unless you act quickly."

"You know about…?"

"About her little problem? Of course. And I know more! That little bird has a very _enviable_ gift. Enough to even make a man want to marry, I suppose."

Kadaj's tone was playful, while Verian's was serious and grave. Kadaj gave him another moment, before Verian gave his answer.

"I'll do it."

Kadaj grinned evilly, drawing his blade and swinging it idly. "I'm glad you see reason. Just don't tell anyone, and do _exactly_ as I say—" Out of nowhere, on another whim, Kadaj slashed the air in front of Verian's face. It was so close he could feel the rush of air as it passed. And then suddenly Verian was staring straight into eyes that glowed with as much malice as mako.

"…Or you and the girl will pay _dearly_."


	37. Competition

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Competition

_Sephiroth looked up from the last remnants of yesterday's papers, a firm knock disrupting his concentration. He sighed. He had wanted to get this done quickly and literally sweep Aralyn off her feet. He had heard of a new restaurant that was supposed to be exceptional. She would enjoy the finery, and he wound enjoy the chance to repent._

_ The knock continued and he gave up. "Come in," he said, turning back to his papers. _

_ He knew it was Zack without even looking up. "Hey, Seph!" his comrade called out in greeting. "Ooh…sorry about the papers. But it looks like you're almost done."_

_ Sephiroth hummed a quiet affirmative, thumbing through the stack in an attempt to find the paper that corresponded to the one he was working on. The Turks had arranged them out of order again. He blamed Reno, whether or not it was justifiable._

_ "You up for a little exercise?" Zack asked, drawing his oversized sword with a flourish and resting it on his shoulder. "You've got to get out of this office or you'll go insane, and I still need my revenge from last time."_

_ Sephiroth gave a small, one-sided smile, amused by the idea. "Revenge? How do you plan to do that?"_

_ "By whacking you good with this nice metal stick!" Zack said, grinning, whirling his sword in a circle behind his head. _

_ "You can try, at any rate," Sephiroth scoffed, shaking his head and returning to his papers._

_ "Aw, you're terrified of me and you know it!"_

_ "You can go ahead and think that if it makes you feel better." Sephiroth stood and returned the papers to a file._

_ "So…you coming?" Zack asked._

_ Sephiroth put the papers in a locked desk and then drew his exceptionally long Masamune. "I may as well humor you now. You won't be laughing when you wake up sore tomorrow."_

_ "We'll see who's sore after I'm done with you!" Zack led the way, Sephiroth walking elegantly and confidently behind. Zack held the door open for Sephiroth, gesturing in with his hand. "Ladies first," he said, bowing._

_ "You're really asking for it," Sephiroth said as Zack took his position in the middle of the arena. Sephiroth didn't bother to prepare; he didn't need to._

_ Zack was the first to leap, but his attack was swatted away like Sephiroth was hitting at crippled flies instead of a fellow Soldier. Zack frowned in concentration, surveying the silver haired swordsman for any hint of weakness. Just to spite him, Sephiroth left an intentional opening in his defenses, bait he knew that Zack could never resist. Zack knew the futility of it all, but he tried nonetheless. As expected, he was blocked, the shock of the blow shaking the joints of his arms until he feared they'd break, while Sephiroth's arm was steady._

_ "Ha," Zack sighed as he raised his sword and backed away. "Ready to surrender? I'll make the terms fair enough…"_

_ "Funny. I was about to say the same."_

_ Zack continued battering at Sephiroth, who stayed on defensive. Zack continued onward, savoring the challenge. The entire time, he shot out ultimatums, pretending that he was in the lead, trying to get at the ever stoic general._

"_And guess who I ran into in the diner?"_

_ Sephiroth looked up, his expression saying that he didn't particularly care and that he was, in addition, mildly annoyed. "That girl you keep talking about…what's her name…Aerith?" he guessed blandly, blocking another of Zack's strikes effortlessly._

_ "Nah, I'm talking about _your_ girl!"_

_ Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, his face impassive, but Zack swore for a moment his stone mask faltered. "And?"_

_ "She took a pretty hard fall." _

_ Sephiroth tensed, and his eyes widened. His breathing was harsher, and it wasn't because of exertion. Zack swiped, taking advantage of the moment of panic he had caused his opponent. The general, however, jumped back, evading the blow at the last second. It had been close. Far too close._

_ "She's all right, but she'll probably have some killer bruises tomorrow." Zack admitted in guilt. He hadn't expected Sephiroth to react like that. The pain in his eyes had been real, and it wasn't right. For someone who showed no emotion, ever, this was a horrible shock. He hadn't known and never would have guessed that Sephiroth felt so strongly toward her._

_ Sephiroth relaxed and gripped his sword tighter. His frown did not fade. "Do not do that again."_

_ Zack stopped, dropping his sword so the tip rested on the ground. "I scared you, didn't I?" His tone, for once, was not mocking, but contemplative and slightly confused. He guessed that this wasn't the first time this had happened by his reaction. Was she sick, he wondered?_

_He shook his head, then raised his sword and charged again, only to have his weapon battered away by the significantly slimmer Masamune._

_ There was now an edge to Sephiroth's maneuvers, releasing the worry and fear that he did not dare to reveal otherwise. "This is real, isn't it?" Zack dared to ask. "This isn't just some passing crush."_

_ Sephiroth neither confirmed nor denied anything, instead choosing to sweep forward and seize the hole in Zack's defenses, sliding the tip of his long blade to his throat. Zack closed his eyes and dropped his sword. "All right, Seph. You win this one."_

_ "And?" Sephiroth prodded further._

_ "…And the last one. And…probably the next one too." He smiled sheepishly._

_Sephiroth lowered the blade and sat on one of the benches near the wall, sheathing his weapon after ensuring that it was clean and in good repair. Zack came to join him, though his arrival was strikingly different. He could barely make it, and when he did, he was doubled over, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath and borrowing the towel Sephiroth offered to wipe the sweat from his face. Sephiroth sat next to him, tall and upright, his breathing slow and steady._

_ "Thank you for the contest, even though it was one sided," Sephiroth said, taking the damp towel and exchanging it for a water bottle. _

_ "Someday I'll hit you. If it's only once on the smallest toe, I will get you."_

_ "Hmmm. So you continue to claim."_

_ "So," Zack said as he leaned back, feeling better after the long drink of water. "The great General Sephiroth is in _love_."_

_ "That's enough of that, Zack."_

_ "Her name's Aralyn, right? Beautiful name. Foreign…somehow. Melodic."_

_ Sephiroth looked away. _

_ "Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of! In fact, it might do you some good to have a woman. She seemed nice, like a good match for you."_

_ Sephiroth grabbed the water bottle from Zack, though he seriously doubted that it was out of actual thirst. He seemed distracted and far away. After it was clear that he would get no more out of the General, he suggested leaving. He proposed to go down and relax in the lounge for a while, but Sephiroth only shook his head and left, giving the excuse that he had work to complete._

_ Zack waited until Sephiroth had left to voice his thoughts to himself. "Clueless. General or not, he's blind as a bat. Ironic…sadly enough." Shrugging, he shouldered his Buster Sword and walked out casually, heading toward the diner where Aralyn worked._

_ "Clueless, clueless, clueless…."_


	38. Enemy's Emergence

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Enemy's Emergence

Aralyn didn't show up for work.

At first Tifa shrugged it off. It wasn't unusual for a person to miss twenty minutes, even though it was an extreme rarity for the very punctual Aralyn. She was always at the door minutes early, sometimes eating her breakfast out of a napkin as she stood and waited for Tifa to come and retrieve her. Tifa was having a second key made so she could let herself in from the cold, but it wouldn't be finished for a few more days.

When it reached the point where Aralyn was absent for a full hour, Tifa allowed herself to worry.

"Vincent, have you seen Aralyn?" she asked.

Vincent shook his head. "Not since last night when she left."

"This isn't like her…"

"Aw, she's probably just sleeping in!" Yuffie offered. "I know I would."

"You're right," Tifa replied, sounding like she was trying very hard to convince herself. The uneasy look didn't leave her face. "She's just tired, and she deserves a break."

Two hours, then three passed, and even Yuffie had to admit that something wasn't right. Vincent was in the corner, staring out a window, not moving. He seemed even tenser than Tifa.

"You guys are overreacting!" Yuffie still insisted. "Look, let's settle this! Let's give her a call and see what's up!"

Vincent handed Yuffie his phone wordlessly. She scrolled through his phone book until she found Aralyn's name, and then put it on speakerphone and set it on the table so they all could share the conversation.

It was a long wait. Yuffie started counting the times it rang, but gave up when she ran out of fingers. "Hello?" They almost didn't recognize her voice when Aralyn finally picked up..

"Aralyn?" Tifa asked.

"Tifa? I'm so, so sorry…" She was speaking in barely more than a whisper, and her voice seemed unsteady and shaky.

"Hey, don't sweat it! What's wrong? We're worried about you. Are you sick? Is it acting up again?"

"No I just…Tifa, I need you to believe that I'm fine, but I need the day off. I'll work double hours tomorrow if you want but…I-I just can't come in today." There was silence as she turned away for a minute, muffled noises barely registering in their end.

"No, take it off! No penalty." Tifa assured her.

"…Thank you so much, Tifa."

Aralyn hung up abruptly, leaving everyone confused and startled.

It wasn't until that afternoon that Cloud burst through the door, his face drawn and his eyes angry. "Have you heard?" he asked.

"Heard what?" Tifa asked, concerned at the venom in his voice.

Cloud moved to a small television that was mounted on the wall for the customers to see. He picked up the remote from Marlene's side; changing the channel from the children's program she had been watching to the news.

"…Casualties still unknown, but are estimated to be extremely high," the newscaster began. "Shinra is dedicating all of the Turks to the task of finding out the details, and until we know the truth, it is encouraged that panic not be spread. They aren't one hundred percent certain that Sephiroth was behind this massacre but all evidence…"

Cloud turned off the TV, judging that his companions had heard enough.

"It was another Nibelheim!" he seethed. "I've never seen anything like it!" He roughly handed the remote back to Marlene, obviously distraught. "I don't need an exact count to know that at least twenty were killed, and untold more wounded! The city was leveled!"

Cloud's news was met with silence. No one spoke, and no one needed to. Tifa wordlessly moved to the front doors, locking them and posting a sign announcing that the Seventh Heaven was temporarily closed. She didn't want to be distracted right now. She knew that the rest of Avalanche would come as soon as they heard the news, and in preparation, she unlocked the back door.

"Why?" Yuffie finally asked. "Was Jenova there or something?"

"The Turks don't have a reason as of yet," Cloud confirmed. "Maybe…maybe there wasn't one."

Tifa turned to Vincent to find him still rigid in the corner. He hadn't moved, though he seemed greatly disturbed in his own quiet way. "What are you thinking?" she asked him.

"I'm thinking that Aralyn heard the news before we did."

Tifa paused, then nodded. "She's probably taking this pretty hard…"

"Why?" Yuffie countered. "She has no family, so she couldn't have had a loved one in that city. And she's not connected to Sephiroth like we are."

Tifa didn't miss the sight of Vincent's fist clenching.

"This is a dark day," Tifa said gently. "And you don't have to be connected to any of the dead to feel the sorrow of what's been done."

"Well I'm not saying that. I just think that it's no reason to have a breakdown…"

"A breakdown?" Vincent asked harshly. "You don't know _anything_, Yuffie."

Yuffie flinched back as if he had slapped her.

"Maybe someone should go and see her. If she's hurting this badly, she shouldn't be alone," Tifa offered. "Marlene and I could go."

"No," Vincent said. "She needs some time alone. Maybe later tonight, but for now, let's leave her be."

Tifa met his solemn eyes, knowing there was something in there that he wasn't revealing, and nodded. "If you think it will help…"

* * *

Kadaj flipped a golden brooch between his gloved fingers, a mad grin on his face. He seemed captivated by the way the moonlight seeping through the old rafters played over its smooth surface. When he tired of this, he flipped it into the air and caught it, laughing.

"What did you _do_?" Yazoo seethed as he walked into the chapel.

"Oh come _on_, brother. Lighten up and have some fun! There's probably still some spoils left if you're game for some digging through the ashes."

"Sephiroth's orders were to _lie low_! Now everyone is talking!" His voice was faster than usual, more urgent.

"Exactly! Everyone is talking. Won't this be so much more fun?"

"You _traitor_!"

The grin was wiped off Kadaj's face, and replaced with an angry grimace. He walked towards his older brother, slowly, making sure to grind the flowers beneath his feet with every single step.

"Mother will return soon. And when she does, I will be sure that every filthy mortal on this planet shows her the proper respect. Are you saying I'm betraying Mother? I am glorifying her! Giving them a taste of her power!""

Yazoo said nothing.

"Or are you more concerned about those little _insects'_ deaths?" Kadaj sneered.

"What will you gain?" Yazoo asked simply.

"Mother will be—"

"Don't start that with me!" Yazoo cut across sharply. "That is not why you did this! You can't hide it from me."

Kadaj confirmed nothing, only grinned. It was all Yazoo needed to know.

He had crossed Sephiroth to challenge him. He was staging a mutiny.

And Kadaj would put Aralyn in the crossfire.


	39. An Evening of Serenity

Chapter Thirty-Nine: An Evening of Serenity

_ "And how long has it been since you've seen Aralyn? Tell me!"_

_ Sephiroth massaged his temples; not bothering to hide how much Zack was annoying him. "It's not relevant, and what you're asking simply isn't practical."_

_ "This isn't about practicality, Sephiroth! And you haven't answered my question."_

_ Sephiroth sighed deeply, turning back to his papers as he answered, "Two weeks."_

_ Zack shook his head and slid the paper in front of the general. The delicate flyer was printed on lacy velum, pastel blue paper with white ink. It announced the annual Shinra company party was in two days. The theme was much more formal than last year's, and was to include dinner and ballroom dancing._

_ "What could it hurt? Take her out and enjoy yourselves! Give me one good excuse!"_

_ "I have work."_

_ "I said one __**good**__ excuse."_

_ Sephiroth laid his head in his hands and motioned Zack away, desperate to end Zack's endless nagging. "I will consider it."_

_ Zack shook his head, scoffing, but left, leaving the flyer on Sephiroth's desk._

_Sephiroth picked up the paper, frowning deeply as he examined it. He turned his gaze back to the papers that Reno had delivered, which were gift wrapped and tied with a ridiculously frilly bow as a joke. _

_If he worked all night tonight, he supposed he could find the time._

* * *

_ Aralyn stood in front of the tall mirror, sighing as she examined herself. Zack had insisted that she dress up, and when she refused, she had come back to her apartment to find a formal dress draped on her bed. Not wanting to offend Zack by rejecting his gift, she had reluctantly complied._

_ The dress was a very light pink, dusted lightly with glitter, and flowed past her ankles to pool at her feet. The sleeves were long and loose and the collar was in the shape of a V, allowing her rainbow pendant to be viewed. She had curled her hair and piled it up in a bun on the top of her head, allowing only her slightly longer bangs to frame her face. _

_ She didn't know why Zack was making this big of a fuss._

_ Judging herself to be as ready as she would ever be, she put on a long white trench coat to protect her from the cold night air. Her dress was hidden for now, but she knew that Zack wouldn't let it stay that way. She made her way through the hallway, rode the elevator to ground level, and then exited the building and made her way to the location of the party, relying on the sound of the distant music to be her guide. She was glad for her long cloak, as it was snowing quite steadily._

_ She hadn't taken two steps into the party when two strong arms grabbed her and whirled her around playfully. "Hey! You made it!" Zack set her on her feet and pulled the coat off her shoulders. "And you look stunning, if I do say so myself!" He winked at her, causing her to blush furiously._

_ "I blame all this on you," she murmured. _

_ "Oh, you won't, I promise. Give it oh…" he peered at his watch, "ten, maybe fifteen minutes."_

_ "Thank you for the dress," Aralyn said lightly. "Even though I'm still mad at you…"_

_ Zack grinned widely. "Oh, that wasn't me."_

_ "It…wasn't?"_

_ "Nope! Maybe it was a fairy, or a tonberry, or…" He smirked mischievously as he trailed off. "Or maybe even a certain silver-haired someone…"_

_ Aralyn wavered. "He would not…!"_

_ "I said to give it ten or fifteen minutes."_

_ "He's coming?!"_

_ "Yep! Excited?"_

_ "You could have told me!" Aralyn cried, suddenly feeling very nervous. "A little warning would have been…"_

_ "Aralyn."_

_ Aralyn froze, not daring to breathe. Zack smiled, gesturing for her to turn around and answer to the smooth voice that had called her name. "Earlier than usual, Seph. I'm impressed."_

_ Aralyn couldn't move. Zack laughed. "She hasn't even seen you yet and already she's breathless! Good going, man!"_

_ She felt strong hands pull her into an embrace, though she still didn't dare to face him. "Aralyn," he called again. His hands moved to her shoulders, and he slowly turned her toward him. _

_ Sephiroth was dressed in a dark, navy blue suit with gold trimming the edge of the sleeves at his wrists. The jacket was long, the coattails coming down to his knees in the back. His long, silver hair contrasted against the dark fabric._

_ "You better do something quick or she might stop breathing," Zack advised, clapping Aralyn lightly on the shoulder. _

_ She was quickly brought out of her stupor by the thought of how ridiculous she must look. "Hello, Sephiroth," she managed. "It's been…a while."_

_ He nodded, looking truly sorry. He lightly fingered the fabric of her draping sleeve. "You look…radiant." _

_ She blushed red. She could hear how hard it was for him to say it. He was not used to using such language, and he'd never said anything like that to her before. "You were behind all this?"_

_ "I confess. I am guilty."_

_ "You didn't have to be this lavish, Sephiroth. It's…too much." _

_ He looked stunned. "You…don't like it?" He quickly turned her around, desperate to make up for what he had done. "Zack," he growled, "I told him it was…"_

_ "Oh, Sephiroth," Aralyn chuckled, causing his concern to turn to confusion. "You're hopeless!" She threw her arms around his neck, her worries swept away. "What will I ever do with you?"_

_ Zack punched Sephiroth on the forearm, smiling and giving him a thumbs-up. "Hate to leave, but I've got a girl waiting on me too! Don't blow her night, Seph. Take good care of her."_

_ "As if I needed to be told," Sephiroth countered. He turned back to her as Zack left. "So, you aren't angry?"_

_ "No, of course not. Just…stunned."_

_ Sephiroth hummed his consent and gently folded her hands in his. "It has been…far too long." Aralyn had never seen him like this; he was so calm and serene, and he looked at her with an emotion she couldn't name. _

_ "I miss you," she said. "Even though we're so close, we never seem to meet."_

_ They stood there for a long time, oblivious to the people moving around them. It was Aralyn that first broke the silence. "I know I'm pushing my luck but do you suppose you and I could…?"_

_ He raised a single eyebrow. "I'm not one to preach on etiquette, but aren't I supposed to ask you?"_

_ "Well I didn't think you'd…" she stopped, looking up at him._

_ "Aralyn," he cut across her, his tone soft and quiet. He lifted her chin as he cupped her face in his white-gloved palm, gazing into her eyes. "Would you dance with me?"_

_ With her dazed, slight nod, he pulled her into the swirling crowd, ignoring Reno's open-mouthed stare. He saw the redhead turn to Rude, pointing and stuttering something. _

_ Sephiroth pulled her closer and stepped deeper into the crowd. Reno stuck his tongue out at him, Sephiroth answering with a smirk. He released one of her hands, moving his now free hand to rest lovingly on her shoulder. "Ready?" he asked._

_ "No…"_

_ Sephiroth moved in time to the music, Aralyn following afterward. They spent the dance in silence, but it was comfortable and even welcomed. Sephiroth proved capable of guiding her through the steps, leading her on their path, and catching her when she lost her balance. _

_ Somehow, the sonata being played seemed a lot shorter than when Aralyn had heard it last. When the last chord rang through the room, reverberating until the tone died, he pulled her back to the side. To her utmost embarrassment, he brushed her fingers to his lips in a very formal kiss. _

_ "Sephiroth!"_

_ "Thank you, Aralyn."_

_ She was speechless, her face burning crimson. She caught sight of Zack, who apparently had seen the occurrence, and was laughing very hard, much to the confusion of his brunette dancing partner._

_ Sephiroth looked around, his face dangerously passive. "You're uncomfortable in the crowd, aren't you?" Aralyn asked._

_ "I'll live for one night," he insisted._

_ "I might not, though. Come," she said as she took his hands. "Let's go outside. It's a beautiful night."_


	40. Attempt on her Life

Chapter Forty: Attempt on her Life

Aralyn returned the next day, delving into her work and not speaking much besides the short replies to any question that was asked of her. Her sadness brought a gloomy aura to the entire building, even dampening Yuffie's spirits. Soon the silence was so deep that it was nearly a racket to run the water faucet.

After a half hour, Tifa slowly moved behind Aralyn and wrapped her arms around her shoulders in an understanding embrace. "Aralyn," she said soothingly. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah I just…" she coldly tried to shrug off the embrace but Tifa wouldn't let go. "Do you need the day off?"

"No. It's better when I'm not sitting and thinking about…at least here I'm occupied."

"All right," Tifa said. "But if you need someone to talk to, I'll listen, okay?"

Aralyn turned her gaze to Tifa, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. "Thanks. That means a lot."

Seizing the lapse in Aralyn's depression, Yuffie sprang to her side. "You know what you need? An adventure! Don't tell anyone but," here she lowered her voice to a whisper, her eyes glinting with glee of her scheme, "I know where Vincent hides his materia!"

Aralyn turned her gaze to the silent gunman, wondering if he had managed to hear. "No thanks, Yuffie. I'll stick with the dishwashing."

"Aw…maybe Denzel will be up for it," she murmured as she walked away.

Aralyn just shook her head as she once again immersed her hands in the warm, soapy water.

For a moment the silence returned, until Aralyn let out a sharp gasp. When she pulled her hand from the water, a streak of red ran the length of her finger.

Vincent was at her side before anyone could blink. Aralyn jumped back, startled by how unnaturally fast he had come. "Just got caught on a knife or something…no big deal." She smiled through her grimace as she tried to cover it with her hand; it stung fiercely.

Tifa approached and gently nudged Vincent to the side. "It looks worse than it is, but you can't blame Vincent. He's an ex-Turk, remember, and you have to believe they taught him something about reacting quickly."

"Or maybe his inner vampire was reacting to the blood…" Yuffie was smart enough to stop there. She smiled nervously under his glare and silently slinked away.

Tifa bandaged the wound and went back to the front of the building to attend to a customer.

"Vincent could I ask you—" Aralyn began, but she was interrupted by Tifa.

"Aralyn, Verian's here to see you."

Vincent strode forward, only stopped when Aralyn gripped his cloak. "Give the man half a minute," she whispered. "I'm not in the mood to fight today."

Vincent scowled deeply but moved from the doorway to let her pass.

Verian smiled when he saw her. "Hey! Glad to see you're well."

Aralyn did not answer to this.

"I just dropped by to say hello, but it's a bit chilly outside. Mind if I stay a moment?"

"I suppose not," she said timidly, backing up to let Tifa take his order. He slid into a seat.

"What do you recommend, Aralyn?" he asked after scanning the menu.

"Tifa makes a wonderful pie…"

"Nah, too heavy. I just want something light, how about a drink?"

"I can whip up a shake or something but…"

"Wonderful! I'll take two helpings."

Verian remained casual even under Vincent's heavy gaze. When Aralyn returned, Verian grabbed her hand before she could retreat back to the kitchen. "I can't eat two helpings myself, Aralyn."

Eyeing him suspiciously, she reluctantly sat. He pulled a separate wine glass engraved with elaborate silver etchings from his coat and began to spoon copious amounts of the shake into it.

"Verian this is absurd! You can't honestly think…!"

"Absurd? Aralyn, just this once. I'm sorry if I've caused you pain." Idly he began to swirl her drink around with the spoon.

"This doesn't change anything! I'm not going to marry you!"

"I understand, Aralyn. Drink, it's on me." He handed her the glass.

Still meeting his gaze, she pressed the glass to her lips and sipped the drink, then set it down. "I'm really not hungry right now, Verian."

"Oh, come on, wasting all that is such a shame…"

Vincent leapt forward in an instant, registering as nothing more than a streak of crimson in Aralyn's view. She was knocked aside by a blow that had not been meant to harm her, but to push her away from the danger. When she looked up from the ground where she had been thrown flat, Verian was held by his neck, his feet dangling several inches above the ground, Cerberus pressed firmly against his temple.

"Explain yourself," Vincent hissed. Aralyn had seen him infuriated before, but never like this. His hand, normally so steady and sure, was shaking with fury, and his voice was quiet and deadly.

"Vincent, what is going on?" Tifa asked.

Vincent thrust his fingers into Verian's coat pocket, briefly fishing around and pulling out a bag of what appeared to be finely ground salt. He then gestured to Aralyn's glass. The shake he had spooned into it was tinted a slightly darker color.

"What is this? And why was Aralyn's glass laced with it? Is that why you were so eager for her to consume it all?"


End file.
